Rob Nelson and Erin Whittington named to All-Washington Academic Team

BELLEVUE, WASH.– Bellevue Community College students Rob Nelson and Erin Whittington, of Redmond, have been named to the 2005 All-Washington Academic Team.

The Team selection is a project of Phi Theta Kappa international honor society, USA Today and the American Association of Community Colleges, recognizing the best and brightest community and technical college students in the state.

The Team will be honored at ceremonies in Olympia March 24 by Governor Christine Gregoire.

Displaying strong leadership skills, Nelson served as Secretary of the college’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter last year and is president this year. He was a key organizer of a 2004 Relay for Life fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society, which netted $80,000, and also worked on Project Graduation, which collected books and food for underprivileged children and their families. Nelson’s long-term goal is to become a lawyer.

Committed to public service, Erin Whittington spends much of her spare time as a hospital emergency room volunteer and as Vice President–Fellowship for Phi Theta Kappa. Over the past year Whittington has helped host both the Relay for Life fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society and a seminar on youth and the media – in addition to organizing holiday activities for senior citizens. Whittington’s ultimate goal is a career in medicine.

Each member of the All-Washington Academic Team will receive $750 in scholarships funded by Northwest Education Loan Association (NELA) and Key Bank.

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