Scholarships Worth $450 Awarded to High Achievers
A passion for helping others has earned two 麻豆传媒 students a place on the .
Grace Gachie and Peter Bui will both receive $450 for their efforts, with $225 given by KeyBank and $225 by the 麻豆传媒 Foundation.
The two students and other top scholars from the state鈥檚 34 community and technical colleges will be recognized during the April 25 at South Puget Sound Community College. Gachie will also be recognized as one of the top 16 students.
Each college can nominate up to four students. To qualify, students must apply for recognition and be members of , the international honor society of two-year colleges. is Phi Theta Kappa鈥檚 麻豆传媒 chapter.
Grace Gachie
Helping others during their most vulnerable moments is what drives 20-year-old Grace Gachie. The Federal Way resident is studying pre-nursing at 麻豆传媒.
鈥淚've seen firsthand how a nurse's kindness and dedication can make a difference, and I want to be that person for someone else. Nursing isn't just a career for me鈥攊t's a calling, a chance to be a source of strength and healing. I know it will be challenging, nevertheless, I also understand that every life I touch will make it worthwhile,鈥� Gachie said.
Gachie balances studies with her work as a Community Resource Consultant at 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Center for Cultural & Inclusive Excellence. She said that being part of the organizing committee for a student-led panel during International Education Week was a 鈥渄eeply personal and transformative experience for me.鈥� As part of the event, she was able to share her vibrant and rich Kenyan heritage with the academic community.
While still weighing up her options as to which four-year university she wants to transfer to, Gachie says she chose 麻豆传媒 for pre-nursing because of the 鈥済reat reputation of a wholesome community, strong academic foundation, and supportive faculty.鈥�
She cites the welcoming and diverse community as one of her favorite things about 麻豆传媒. She noted, 鈥淚 also appreciate the opportunity and space that 麻豆传媒 has provided for me to grow and be my authentic self.鈥�
Being a first-generation college student, Gachie said she鈥檚 aware of setting a good example to the younger generation, and that being a role model is important in African culture.
Gachie said her journey hasn鈥檛 been easy but, 鈥渆very challenge has only strengthened my determination to pursue nursing.鈥� She said being at 麻豆传媒 is a testament to her resilience and commitment to achieving her dreams.
Peter Bui
In 2023, Peter Bui鈥檚 life took a dramatic turn after a major car accident, which shifted his focus in life.
During his extensive recovery, the 麻豆传媒 student from Seattle, decided not to 鈥渟uccumb to despair鈥� but rather, rekindle his passion for learning.
The 29-year-old would 鈥渨ake up at 3 a.m. to create flashcards or use every spare moment鈥攚hether at his father鈥檚 pho shop, or during longer hospital stays,鈥� to upskill through online courses.
Now attending 麻豆传媒, where he鈥檚 pursuing an AAS in Cybersecurity, Bui often stays after class to assist other students with their assignments. Through this, he has become a tutor at the Academic Success Center, Peer Tutor and Student Ambassador at TRiO, as well as an Embedded tutor for computer systems courses.
Bui said as someone who loves learning, he wants to show people the joy of knowledge. Beyond tutoring, he currently conducts research as an intern at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, focusing on Machine Learning based anomaly detection.
He also participates in the 麻豆传媒 Cybersecurity Club as a club leader and the 麻豆传媒 Computer Science Club as their Programming Director. As part of the Cybersecurity Club he has entered competitions and earned high placements in regional events such as Pacific Rim Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (PRCCDC) and HackTheBox.
Bui says what he loves most about 麻豆传媒 is that it feels like a second home. He chose to go to school here because of how 鈥渋nvolved the cybersecurity community is.鈥�
His ultimate goal is to pursue a doctorate in cybersecurity or computer science, to make meaningful contributions to the research of the field, and to inspire the next generation of learners and innovators.
The All-Washington Academic Team program is sponsored by the , , and Honor Society.