Guest Post by Jade Chan, Center for Leadership and Service

We take every chance we get to recognize and celebrate our students. In the past, a fun and meaningful way has been through the Student Awards Ceremony.

This year, we changed the name of that event, and the corresponding recognition, to Student Legacy Awards.

Jade Chan

The awards honor students who have demonstrated a high caliber of academic and leadership achievement, persistence and contributions to the legacy of their peers and Highline College.

It is an opportunity to let students and our entire Highline community know that their achievements matter, that their stories matter and that we see them and their legacies.

This year, 64 scholars and leaders took home 69 awards, with four students winning in two or more categories.

Dancers from the Pacific Islander Club perform.

The theme of the awards celebration was “Together We Soar.” We love our students and love that they use their unique gifts and superpowers to make Highline College a better place for the next generation of scholars.

Around 300 students, family members, staff, faculty and community members attended the May 23 ceremony. There were many touching moments:

• Toni Castro, vice president for Student Services, welcomed students, parents and staff with such grace and wisdom.
• Mahlet Tiruneh and Astrid Duenas, who are part of the student government leadership team, facilitated the event.
• The Pacific Islander Club won Club of the Year and gave two beautiful dance performances, sharing their cultural heritage, tradition and legacy. They performed “La’u Hani” by Pacific Soul and “Lome Lome” by Alpha Maiava.

Highline student Tristan Curfman accepts one of his two awards.

We advocated for live captioning at the ceremony to show our commitment to making the event as accessible as possible to people with (in)visible disabilities.

Live captioning would not have been possible without the help of the Accessibility Technology Committee and Access Services.

Why Did We Change the Name?

The intention behind the name is very beautiful and simple. We simply wanted to honor the students and recognize the legacy that they are leaving at Highline College.

Creating a legacy is breaking glass ceilings so that your ceiling is the next generation’s floor. A legacy opens doors of opportunities.

We need the Jordans from Career and Student Employment Center who help students toward their passions and careers.

Attendees enjoy dinner.

We need the Kaitlens from Pacific Islanders Club who create a brave and safe space for Samoans and other Pacific Islanders to share their beautiful cultural traditions in community.

We need the Jocelyns from Knitting Club who put so much heart into making their club welcoming for students of all abilities regardless of (in)visible disabilities.

We also wanted to provide them with an award name that carries the depth of their accomplishment to serve as a reminder to them, and so they can use it to advocate for their own future opportunities with employers.

A Quick Look Back at Student Award Winners

Read a few stories from recent years highlighting the many achievements of Highline students.

• 2017: “17 Graduates Offer Advice, 115 Receive Recognition”
• 2016: “38 Graduates Offer Advice, 44 Receive Recognition”
• 2016: “89 Students Celebrated for Outstanding Efforts”
• 2015: “Highline College Top 10 Highlights”
• 2015: “59 Students Applauded for Achievements”

Legacy Scholar Awards

Legacy Leader Awards