WVC at Omak student honored in
All-Washington Academic Team ceremony

Wenatchee Valley College at Omak student Kristina VonPressentin was recognized as a member of the 2009 All-Washington Academic Team at ceremonies in Olympia on Thursday, March 26. She was presented a medallion by WVC President Jim Richardson and congratulated by Gov. Christine Gregoire.

Based on her scores in the All-USA Academic Team competition, VonPressentin was also selected as a 2009 Coca-Cola National Finalist and will receive a $1,000 scholarship in addition to the $750 in All-Washington Academic Team scholarships.

VonPressentin's carries a 3.95 grade point average and plans to become a veterinarian. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and serves as secretary of several student organizations, including the Associated Students of WVC at Omak, the Publishing Club and MEChA (Movimiento Estudianil Chicanos De Aztlán).

She organized MEChA's first-annual regional conference in Omak. The purpose of MEChA is to encourage Latino students to advance to higher education, to create diversity and to break stereotypes. About 75 high school students interested in continuing their education attended the conference.

 "With the Latino dropout rate rising, I felt this conference would influence many high school students to continue their education and see the wide ranges of opportunities available to them," she wrote in her application for the All-Washington Academic Team. "We, as a group, feel choosing continuing education is a difficult choice, and that knowing what a college can offer you beforehand can help in the final decision. With information gained at the conference, the attendees were, hopefully, not only encouraged themselves, but also could persuade others to continue their education at a college level."

 "Taking part in something greater than me, with the potential in changing my community, makes me feel like I have made a difference," she wrote.

The All-Washington Academic Team project represents 34 community and technical colleges in Washington state. The project is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa; KeyBank;  the Northwest Education Loan Association (NELA); Coca-Cola; the Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges; the Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges; the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; and every public and private, four-year baccalaureate institution in Washington state, who offer scholarships in recognition of the recipient's achievements.