Transforming Lives Award

female student speaking into a microphone with three other students on stage

Have you transformed your life through BBCC or do you know someone who has? How would you or another deserving person spend $100?

The BBCC Trustees want to honor and recognize your transformative effort!

The Washington State Association of College Trustees annual Transforming Lives Awards recognize current or former students whose lives have been transformed by attending a Washington State community or technical college. Each fall, the BBCC Trustees recognize up to 10 nominees at a local BBCC recognition dinner and provide the nominees with a $100 check.  Then the next step is for the BBCC trustees to nominate one nominee to the state level, and that nominee may receive an additional $500.  All state-level nominees will be invited to attend, at ACT’s expense, the ACT Legislative Contact Conference, where they will be honored during the Transforming Lives Awards Dinner.  Award winners will be the keynote speakers.

Every state-level nominee will have his or her story and picture included in an awards booklet that will be shared with legislators, the higher education community, and posted on the ACT website.

Save the date for this year’s local Transforming Lives Award Dinner: Big Bend Community College Masto Conference Center, TBD.

Top Reasons to Nominate

1. Cash Award to Student ($100 local/$500 if chosen statewide)

2. Recognition for Student & BBCC (local trustee-sponsored recognition dinner, statewide recognition dinner in Olympia)

3. Personal encouragement and building self-efficacy for the student to continue to progress.

Nomination Instructions

Note: The current Transforming Lives nomination period has closed. Nominations will be accepted again in Fall 2023.

Nominations must include the completed nomination form, a written response to criteria questions (maximum of 600 words or less) about overcoming barriers to achieve higher education goals and how the education and support received at BBCC was life-transforming, and a letter of support from a BBCC employee. More information can be found by reading the Transforming Lives Award Criteria.

Links to these forms can also be found in the sidebar.

The nominee may be a current or former BBCC student (within 3 years of completing a degree, certificate or transfer) or a current student who is making significant progress toward completing a degree or certificate that is helping him or her prepare for success in his or her future endeavors.

Who can nominate? Big Bend faculty, staff and students may nominate someone for this award. Self-nominations are also accepted.

Nomination form, written response to criteria questions, and letter of support must be submitted by October 13, 2022. Documents should be emailed to melindad@bigbend.edu

The Transforming Lives Nomination form and Letter of Support form are also available online:

Online Nomination Form

(for nominees)

Click to fill out the Transforming Lives Online Nomination Form

Letter of Support form

(for nominators)

Click to fill out the Transforming Lives Online Letter of Support Form.