By The Chronicle staff
Centralia College has selected five students to receive the college’s Outstanding Student Award at the Centralia College Foundation’s Night of Celebration on Thursday, June 20.
The awards are given out annually to students who have overcome obstacles in the pursuit of their degree, achieved their educational goals, and been an active and engaged member of the college community, the college said in a news release. Students are nominated by faculty and staff, and the winners are chosen by a selection committee.
“It’s a very inspiring group of students we are honoring this year,” said Robert Cox, Centralia College’s vice president of student services. “We have two high-achieving Running Start students, an adult returning to school focused on a career in health care, and two students attending Centralia College through Green Hill School. Though these five individuals have very different stories, they all are hardworking, determined and committed to serving others. These are the students that inspired faculty and their peers, and made a difference this year.”
The students receiving the award this year are:
- Justin Chung, a Running Start student from W.F. West High School. He serves as the college’s coordinator for student engagement, a campus leadership position, and is an active content creator for student-run social media. He is the captain of his high school tennis team and a class of 2024 valedictorian. He plays piano and violin, serves as a local lifeguard and public speaking tutor, and is active in his church. He will attend Southern Adventist University in Tennessee next fall. He plans to study biology to become an orthopedic surgeon.
- Caya Lenay, a member of the first cohort of Green Hill School students to earn a bachelor’s degree through Centralia College. Lenay has completed nearly every program available at Green Hill, and is cofounder of the Made Men peer mentoring group. He is active in Capitol Classroom, a hands-on civics education program that allows students to provide input and work on legislation at the state level. He has published two books about his life and plans to work toward juvenile justice reform when he is released. He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honors society for two-year college students.
- Stephanie Mossow, who moved to Washington with her family moved after a hurricane destroyed their home in Louisiana in 2020. Her family started with nothing and has been able to build back up through hard work and dedication. For Mossow, part of that was starting at Centralia College, where she is working toward a career as a registered nurse. She has served as a peer mentor at Centralia College for two years, and said she loves helping other students achieve their goals.
- Grace Oien, a Running Start student from W.F. West High School. She has a 4.0 GPA at Centralia College and at W.F. West, where she is graduating as valedictorian. On campus, she has served as a speech tutor and helped with the college’s Running Start orientations preparing other high school students for the program. A talented golfer, Oien will remain at Centralia College on a golf scholarship this fall. She plans to earn her bachelor’s degree in applied management.
- Mondrell Robertson, a member of the first cohort of Green Hill School students to earn a bachelor’s degree through Centralia College. He is an active member of Made Men and Capitol Classroom, where he advocates for juvenile rehabilitation. Robertson also serves as a personal trainer and tutors other students working towards their associate and bachelor’s degrees. He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honors society for two-year college students.
