News and Stories
We’re making headlines at Bellevue College. Take a look at the latest events, innovations, and student achievements detailed in our news and stories. From alumni profiles to institutional success, we are proud of the stories that make Bellevue College the region's college of choice.
Changing the Game: Learning Chemistry While Incarcerated
Most educators love teaching classes with engaged students. One such class that Dr. Sonya Doucette, a chemistry professor at Bellevue College, taught was filled with 18 curious, attentive, and excited-to-learn students. They were also incarcerated.
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The Athletes who Ran, Jumped, and Soared
Bellevue College’s 60th anniversary celebration extends beyond the classroom. It’s seen on the tracks, courts, and fields where the Bulldogs built their legacy.
Four Decades of Philanthropy
Courter Baseball Field. The NorthWest Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET). The Early Childhood Center. The Courter Family Pavilion. The Margaret Courter, Courter Family Interior Design, and Courter Athletic Scholarships. The Bellevue College Foundation. The Willard Geer Planetarium.
Basketball Alumna Turns Up the Heat with Award–Winning Cookbook
Hawa Hassan can answer what attracted her to Bellevue College with one word: “Basketball.” She played for the women’s team in 2002 and still recalls fondly her time as a Bulldog.
Alum Finds Success as Co-Founder of Popular Tutoring App
Marwan El-Rukby entered Bellevue College through Running Start in 2015. This first-generation American immigrant knew that he wanted to start a business. He completed his business associate degree at age 20.
Josh Shaer: Assistant Attorney General and Bellevue College Alum
Josh Schaer’s fascination with public service began in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a primary school student. “One day, I just called the mayor’s office. I think I was about eight years old,” he said, adding that he was curious about what a mayor did, and the mayor was happy to tell him.
Bellevue College Alumna Now Driving Patient Access at Fred Hutch
Megan Brazil’s older brother went to Bellevue College, so it seemed natural for her to start there in pursuit of her associate degree in healthcare administration. As a child growing up in Renton, Brazil spent considerable time at Seattle Children’s Hospital, and her experiences left her with a deep appreciation for the people working there.
The Beauty of Teaching: Alum, Instructor Inspires Through Math
An immigrant from Iran, Tony Akhlaghi arrived in Washington as a young man and found Bellevue was the cheapest place for him to live in the late 1980s.
First-Gen Alum Turned Physics Instructor, YouTuber Inspires Students Worldwide
Dr. David Jackson never planned to go to college. Nobody in his family had pursued a degree. Instead, he spent the early 1980s after high school working on his dream of rock-and-roll stardom. At one point, his group did make it through “a battle of the bands” and got some airplay on the radio.
Pioneer in the Field of Ultrasound (Sonography)
As a young woman, Joan P. Baker wanted to go to medical school.
But in order to get in, she needed a language other than English on her transcript, and she had unfortunately failed French. So, she turned to plan B: bypassing medical school to work in radiography.
Merle Landerholm: Founding President was a Groundbreaking Visionary
The Eastside owes much to Bellevue College’s founding president.