News

Centralia College Running Start student Maya Hankins was named “the No. 1 ranked student in the state” at a ceremony recognizing the All-Washington Academic Team in Olympia on Thursday. 

Hankins, 17, was one of three Centralia College students named to the team last week. 

As the top student in the state, Hankins received a $5,000 All-USA Award, a $2,250 New Century Transfer Scholar Award, a $1,000 Washington State Association of College Trustees Award, a $750 WSECU Top 16 Award and a $217 KeyBank All-Washington Scholar Award. 

Centralia College wrote that Hankins “works part-time in a civil construction firm, where she discovered a passion for engineering and construction management. In her free time, she is the chapter officer for the Mossyrock Future Farmers of America and she volunteers with her local garden club. She is dedicated to her neighbors and spent almost a year assisting and raising funds for an elderly neighbor who transitioned to a care facility. She plans to transfer to Central Washington University in the fall to study engineering and construction management.” 

The All-Washington Academic Team program “recognizes and honors the state's finest higher education students,” Centralia College said in a news release. 

To qualify for the All-Washington Academic Team, students must be part of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges. All-Washington Academic Team members will also be ranked at a national level, with a chance to be included in the All-USA Academic Team.

Hankins and her two fellow Centralia College All-Washington Academic Team members, Van Nguyen and Valerie Varner, will be recognized at the May 9 meeting of the Centralia College Board of Trustees.