Engineering and energy management students are Edmonds CC's top scholars
03/14/2013
Edmonds College students Hunter Coulombe and Josh Estes will be recognized for their scholarship, leadership, and community service at a ceremony noon, Thursday, March 21 at South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia. Gov. Jay Inslee will be the keynote speaker at the event.
Representing Edmonds CC, Coulombe and Estes are among 63 of the state’s top scholars, who will receive recognition as members of the All-Washington Academic Team. Each two-year college in the state may nominate two students for the honor.
Coulombe, 19, of Mukilteo, is earning his Associate of Science degree with a goal of studying mechanical engineering. He attends college full-time while working as an engineering technician at Electroimpact in Mukilteo and plans to earn the first baccalaureate degree in his family. He has volunteered on four construction projects, served as a legislative page, coached youth soccer, and mentors his former FIRST Robotics team for Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center.
Estes, 29, of Marysville, is studying energy management. When Kimberly-Clark in Everett, the paper and pulp mill — where he worked and served as President of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Union, Local 183 — closed, Estes decided to return to school in order to provide a better future for his family as well as to fulfill a lifelong dream of achieving his bachelor’s degree. His is a licensed Grade 1, Steam Engineer with the City of Seattle. He serves on the Board of Directors for United Way of Snohomish County and on the Mill Town Credit Union board. He is a graduate of Leadership Snohomish County.
A place on the All-Washington Academic Team comes with a $500 scholarship from KeyBank of Washington. The top ranked member of the All-Washington Academic Team will be named the state’s New Century Scholar and receive a $2,000 scholarship and additional honors and scholarships as part of the All-USA Academic Team for community, technical, and junior colleges. The winners of each state will be featured in USA TODAY in April, American Association of Community College’s Community College Times, Community College Journal, and on Phi Theta Kappa’s website.
The Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges will also award three $1,000 scholarships to the second-, third-, and fourth-ranked members of the team. As they have the past three years, the Washington State Employees Credit Union is offering $250 scholarships to eight members of the team. In addition, all of the state’s public four-year colleges and universities and most of the state’s independent colleges offer additional scholarships for academic team members who transfer to their schools.