Wenatchee Valley College graduation and nurses pinning ceremonies

Media Contacts: Libby Siebens, community relations executive director, 509.682.6436 (Mon. – Thurs.), Donte Quinine, student programs director, 509.682.6860, or Evelyn Morgan-Rallios, Omak campus administrative assistant, 509.422.7806

June 4, 2015

Wenatchee Valley College commencement exercises and nurses pinnings are scheduled for Friday, June 12, for the Wenatchee campus and Saturday, June 13, for the Omak campus.

The Wenatchee commencement ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. in the Town Toyota Center. The Wenatchee campus nurses pinning for completion of the registered nursing certificate and associate degrees of nursing will take place at 1 p.m. at the Town Toyota Center.

The Omak campus commencement will begin at 1 p.m. in the Omak Performing Arts Center.
The Omak campus capping and pinning ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. on June 13 in the Omak Performing Arts Center.

Motivational speaker Fletcher Ellingson of Chelan will give the commencement address for the Wenatchee campus. Ellingson has over 25 years of experience in public speaking, performing and giving workshops, in addition to studying personal development, psychology and communication. On his website, gocoachfletch.com, he says, "In a time where there is so much uncertainty, I choose to believe in people and see their potential."

He is one of the founders of the nonprofit organization, Give Naked, which works with local service groups to identify and meet needs in the community, including helping victims of the Carlton Complex Fire, and providing rent assistance, education, and food or utilities assistance. Ellingson is also one of the original founders of Chelan To Africa, which raises funds to support babies and toddlers in Lesotho, Africa, who have been orphaned as a result of the HIV epidemic.

In addition, Ellingson is a professional magician, and enjoys singing, dancing, and playing the piano and drums.

The Wells House Girls, or WeHoGis, will also be recognized at the Wenatchee campus ceremony as the WVC 2015 Distinguished Alumni of the Year award recipients, in honor of WVC's 75th anniversary. The college will present the award to the Wells House Girls at a private concert and reception in early June.

The WeHoGis lived in Wells House between 1953 and 1960 while it was the first dormitory on campus. They also took classes and meals there, and held social activities. They were considered a WVC student organization. There was a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, hostess and two people who were responsible for the scrapbook and bulletin board.

WVC at Omak alumna Elizabeth Hernandez will give the commencement address at the Omak campus. Earlier this year, Hernandez was nominated for the Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges (TACTC) Transforming Lives Award, which recognizes current or former students whose lives have been transformed by attending a Washington State community or technical college.

Hernandez moved to Bridgeport, Wash., when she was six. She immersed herself in school with the dream of attending the best university in Washington state. In high school, Hernandez was on the honor roll each quarter and served as president of the National Honor Society, captain on the soccer team and as class vice president. When she was told she couldn't attend university because she didn't have a social security number, she enrolled at WVC at Omak. There she served on student government as the first Latina study body president. After graduating, Hernandez continued her education at Eastern Washington University. She now works at Columbia Basin College and is studying for her master's degree at Washington State University, with a dream of pursuing a Ph.D. from Harvard.

President's Medals, Academic Achievement Awards, WVC Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year and the Omak campus Most Supportive Partner are among the awards that will be presented during the college ceremonies.