Two students from South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) were awarded scholarships at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Banquet on Jan. 13, 2018. Leslie Vazquez and Austin Escalera were honored by the Thurston Group of Washington State for their success in academics at SPSCC and beyond that aligns with the values of the Thurston Group.
Escalera is president of the Pacific Islanders Club, a peer mentor and highly involved member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center (DEIC), and sits on the Services and Activities finance committee. He plans to attend the University of Washington – Tacoma and earn a degree in communications. Escalera hopes to become either an advisor or counselor to underprivileged youth in high school or college so he can help them succeed in education and their personal lives. The Thurston Group awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Escalera to support his educational goals.
Vazquez is president of the LatinX Student Union and a peer mentor in the DEIC. Her passion and focus is on helping DACA students navigate college. After SPSCC, she plans to major in accounting at the Milgard School of Business at University of Washington – Tacoma. The Thurston Group awarded Vazquez $1,000 toward achieving her educational goals.
Escalera and Vazquez’s students were awarded youth scholarships at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Banquet sponsored by SPSCC and the Thurston Group. In addition to scholarship awards, nearly 300 banquet guests enjoyed various guest speakers, a keynote address by Artist & Lecture guest Tamika Mallory, music, a dinner prepared by Culinary Arts students, and more.
