Transforming lives at Big Bend

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College honored 10 of its own Thursday, celebrating both individual hard work and persistence against adversity as well as the college’s willingness and ability to help those who need help.

“It really does take people helping other to be successful in their journey,” said BBCC President Terrence Leas following the Transforming Lives banquet on Thursday.

Honored at the banquet were: Francisco Gomez-Rios, Tina Kihn-Thomas, Plasido Lindsey, Zenaida Lopez, Francisco Marmolejo, Erika Martinez, Erika Navarro, Leonardo Paxtian-Ramirez, MaKinZee Rhodes and Michell Valdivia, all of whom overcame tremendous obstacles — including homelessness, violence, and addiction — and worked very hard to get into BBCC and complete their educations.

All thanked BBCC and its staff for patience and never-ending encouragement that made it possible for them to succeed.

“When I first came to Big Bend, I didn’t know what I could do. I didn’t think there was a program here for me, but my wife said, ‘yes, there is,’” Lindsey said. “Sometimes the bigger you are, the more you forget about little people, but not at Big Bend.”

Lindsey, an assistant pastor at New Bride Baptist Church in Moses Lake, dropped out of school when he was young, eventually winding up in jail after succumbing to the lure of alcohol and marijuana. Now married, with three stepchildren and a 9-month-old daughter, he’s been accepted to Eastern Washington University and hopes to earn a masters in social work.

He’s not sure exactly how living in Moses Lake and studying in Cheney will work, but he and his family are committed to both finishing his degree and doing some kind of work that benefits others.

“I will probably commute,” Lindsey said. “I want to use my platform to help someone else.”

Warden resident Valdivia worked hard in high school, but was initially prevented from going to college because she and her family were in the United States illegally. After President Obama initiated the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012, Valdivia was able to apply for and get the scholarships needed to study computer science at BBCC, where she created a program that would scan college records and automatically award students certificates they had earned.

“It took three months to do that,” she said. “We just ran it today, and discovered 43 people who’d earned something.”

Valdivia will be transferring to the University of Washington where she hopes to earn a degree in computer science.

Ephrata native Raquel Ferrel Crowley, who currently works as the Central Washington director for Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., told attendees of her own difficult journey holding down two jobs, raising kids, and studying.

“I had to do it to make ends meet, finish school and show my children, all things are possible when you work for them,” she said. “I was tired, but I was determined to be the best possible educated me there was, showing my children no one keeps you down when you have a dream.”

Leas was keen to remind the students that while they have been encouraged and helped, the students alone made the hard choices and did the tough work that got them where they are today.

“Yes, many people helped you. But we open doors for you, you choose to go through,” he said. “We’re very proud of you.”

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com.