WVC Announces Annual Staff, Faculty and Student Award Winners

Wenatchee Valley College hosted their annual awards ceremony virtually recently honoring staff and faculty along with students.

English professor Heather Ryan was named the Linda Schultz Herzog Faculty Member of the Year while Victoria Duran and Alexandrea Bevan-Church were honored with the President's Medals.

In addition to these awards, long-serving and retiring faculty and staff members were recognized during the ceremony.

Here's the full list:

Victoria Duran from the Wenatchee campus and Alexandrea Bevan-Church from the Omak campus received 2020 WVC President’s Medals for academic achievement, leadership and service.

Victoria is from Wenatchee and will receive an associate of technical science degree in business computer technology. Alexandrea is from Conconully, Wash., and will receive an associate in arts and sciences degree.

Additional nominees for the president’s medals included Tenoch Mandujano (East Wenatchee, associate in science-transfer degree), Donald Bender (Wenatchee, associate in science-transfer degree), Karlee Norton (Wenatchee, associate in arts and sciences degree), Charis Johnston (East Wenatchee, associate in arts and sciences degree), Braxton Igne (Cashmere, associate in arts and sciences degree), Kal Cummings (Waterville, associate in arts and sciences degree) and Subash Rai (Omak, associate in business-transfer degree and associate of technical science degree).

Heather Ryan:

English faculty Heather Ryan (from East Wenatchee) received the Linda Schultz Herzog Faculty Member of the Year Award, which includes a $1,000 honorarium funded by the WVC Foundation. In a letter nominating Ryan for the award, Zack Jacobson, industrial technology faculty, wrote, “I’ve seen Heather go above and beyond when it comes to advising and providing tutelage to students in need. The feedback I hear about her classes is that she is difficult, fair, and willing to make sure all understand the topic on hand. Heather is intelligent with zero essence of condescension and works just as hard helping her coworkers as she does with students. Always pushing each to learn more and become better in the process.”

Ryan received her associate degree from Bakersfield College, her bachelor’s in English from Portland State University, and a master’s in creative writing from University of Oregon. Ryan has taught English at WVC since 2014. She also serves as the faculty professional development coordinator and division chair for transfer English.

The MAC Gallery received the Alcoa Excellence in Teaching Award, which also includes a $1,500 grant provided by Alcoa. Each year, faculty members are invited to submit proposals that will support instructors in the development of a project that significantly increases learning effectiveness. The MAC Gallery in WVC’s Music and Arts Center offers high quality visual art exhibitions and cultural events for students and the Wenatchee community. The gallery depends on outside assistance to run their operations and applied for the grant to support artist expenses, publicity, and gallery equipment for their 2020-21 schedule of exhibitions.

Tria Skirko (Omak), electronic services librarian, received the Anna Pieratt Spirit of WVC Award for her years of promoting and embodying WVC spirit. This award honors an individual or group who has demonstrated the spirit exemplified by Anna Pieratt when she served as executive assistant to the president.

Jackie Browning (Dryden), math faculty, received the WVC Outstanding Part-time Faculty Award for Wenatchee, and Yvette Hill, business computer technology faculty, received the WVC Outstanding Part-time Faculty Award for Omak.

Cheryl Fritz (Wenatchee), assistant director of financial aid, received the WVC Exempt Staff Award, which includes a $1,000 honorarium funded by the WVC Foundation.

Jocelyn Vincent-Ramsey (Omak), program coordinator, received the WVC Alcoa Classified Staff Award and a $1,000 honorarium funded by Alcoa.

Ten-year service awards were presented to Michelle Cannaday (Wenatchee), student leadership and engagement coordinator; and Peter Donahue (Winthrop), English faculty.

Fifteen-year service awards were presented to David Bennatt (Wenatchee), biology faculty; Lynne Kottmeier (Wenatchee), developmental education faculty; Laura Murphy-Belser (Wenatchee), classified program coordinator in financial aid; Richard Ralston (Wenatchee), custodian, and Dr. Jim Richardson (Wenatchee), college president.

Twenty-year service awards were presented to Cecilia Escobedo (Wenatchee), executive assistant to vice president of instruction; Angelica Jaquish, program specialist; Riva Morgan (Wenatchee), workforce education pathways director; and Beverly Warman (Wenatchee), chemical dependency studies faculty.

Twenty five-year service awards were presented to Angela Russell (Leavenworth), math faculty; and Sharon Wiest (Wenatchee), math faculty.

Thirty-year service awards were presented to Leonardo Garcia (Cashmere), agriculture faculty; and Daniel Stephens (Cashmere), biology faculty.

A thirty five-year award was presented to Greg Jourdan (Wenatchee), environmental systems and refrigeration technology faculty.

Employees retiring this year were also recognized, including Pamela Kelley (Wenatchee), curriculum coordinator; Juanita Gaytan (Wenatchee), custodian; and David Knutson (Wenatchee), maintenance mechanic.

Outstanding Graduate Awards went to Karlee Norton (Wenatchee, associate in arts and sciences degree), Victoria Duran (Wenatchee, associate of technical science degree in business computer technology), Misty Stuart (Wenatchee, associate in nursing transfer degree) and Emma Speight (O’Fallon, Ill., associate in arts and sciences degree).

Katelyn Kammers (Omak, associate in arts and sciences degree), Joshua Lester (Omak, associate in arts and sciences degree) and Brianna Whybark (Grand Coulee, Wash., associate in arts and sciences degree) were the recipients of the Academic Achievement Award at the Omak ceremony.

Kai Spencer (East Wenatchee, associate in applied science-transfer degree in criminal justice) and Angelica Vasquez, (El Salvador, associate in arts and sciences degree and corrections certificate of completion) were the 2020 WVC All-Washington Academic Team members.  The All-Washington Academic Team program recognizes and honors our state's finest higher education students.

Matthew Yearous, (Cashmere, associate of technical science degree in accounting, associate of technical science degree in business) was the 2020 WVC Transforming Lives Award nominee. The Washington State Association of College Trustees (ACT) created the Transforming Lives Awards program in 2012 to recognize current or former students whose lives have been transformed by pursuing higher education at a community or technical college.