Highline College student honored at state awards ceremony

For the Reporter

Kent’s Fatima Khalil recently earned statewide recognition for her accomplishments as a Highline College student.

Khalil was honored as a member of the 2016 All-Washington Academic Team for her academic achievement, community service and involvement on campus. She and other top scholars from the state’s 34 community and technical colleges were recognized during an awards ceremony at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia on March 24.

Each college can nominate up to two students for the award, which comes with a $250 scholarship given by KeyBank. Renton’s Lisa Candler was the other Highline College student honored.

“We are proud to have Ms. Candler and Ms. Khalil representing Highline as All-Washington Scholars,” said Jack Bermingham, Highline College president. “Their accomplishments and contributions both inside and outside the classroom are laudable, demonstrating the character and leadership worthy of national recognition. Once again, we see how important community colleges are in creating higher education pathways and support for students who have to overcome many of life’s challenges.”

Khalil studies biology with the eventual goal of becoming a family doctor and participating in research projects. She loves science and math, finding them creative fields.

At Highline, the 19-year-old Khalil participates in Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, where she serves as president of the Highline chapter.

With a 3.83 GPA, Khalil has made the honor roll several times, being named to the president’s vice president’s lists.

Khalil graduated from Kent-Meridian High School in 2014 and is on target to earn her associate degree at Highline in the summer. She has been accepted to Washington State University, where she may pursue her bachelor’s degree beginning in the fall. Based on her GPA, WSU offered her the Crimson Transfer Award, which is valued at $2,000.

Back in 2007, after nearly two decades in the workforce, Candler’s life changed drastically when she became addicted to prescription pain medication following an injury. She lost everything: her career, her family and her home.

Four years later, she began putting her life back together in a faith-based recovery center called Hope Place, where she lived for 10 months. Her experience propelled her to help others in similar circumstances.

“I felt a new calling and passion to help the hurting, hopeless and homeless who were dealing with mental health and substance use disorders,” Candler said.

Candler put her new calling into action by coming to Highline to study chemical dependency while working full time for Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission at a homeless shelter for women and children.

Through her experience at UGM, Candler found that the homeless women she encountered often had co-occurring mental health and chemical dependency disorders, prompting her to set her educational goal on earning a master’s degree in psychology.

For nearly two years, Candler has served the homeless population through UGM’s KentHOPE Resource Center. She also volunteers on Search and Rescue, where once a week she and a team locate the homeless and offer food, blankets and other essentials as well as referrals to treatment, shelters and feeding programs. And she volunteers for her church’s Prayer Team ministry.

After earning her associate degree and a 3.86 GPA at Highline in December 2015, Candler transferred to Northwest University in Kirkland where she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in psychology. While at Highline, she made the honor roll repeatedly, twice on the president’s list and once on the vice president’s list.

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges, Washington State Association of College Trustees and Phi Theta Kappa sponsor the All-Washington Academic Team program.

For more information, visit spscc.edu/allwa.