Wenatchee Valley College
OMAK - Briana Pardo, a Wenatchee Valley College at Omak alumna, was selected as the WVC nominee for the Transforming Lives Award. She was honored at a virtual ceremony by the Washington State Association of College Trustees (ACT) on Jan. 26. She will receive a $250 award from the ACT.
She was also recognized by the WVC Board of Trustees at the virtual board meeting on Jan. 20. She received an additional $250 award from the WVC president and the WVC Foundation.
At WVC at Omak, Briana completed her associate of technical science in nursing and bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). Briana graduated in 2018 as part of the inaugural BSN class. While attending WVC at Omak, Briana’s mother died from terminal cancer and her brother died from a drug overdose. Her father and sister also died while she was a teenager.
“I lost my mom, but I knew she wouldn’t have wanted me to quit,” Briana wrote in her application. “I graduated in 2018, fulfilling my dream of becoming a registered nurse and completing my BSN. I can now affect change at a systems-level, increasing access to care, reducing overdose deaths and changing lives.”
Despite her family losses and being a single mom, Briana became heavily involved in student government and extracurricular groups and graduated with a 3.9 GPA. She received the president’s medal award at graduation in 2018. The award is given to one student from each of the WVC campuses every year.
“Currently, I am working as the nurse care manager for the opioid treatment network at Family Health Centers in Omak. I have the privilege of working with people who suffer from opioid use disorder,” she said. “When I care for patients, I see someone’s loved one — not cancer, heart disease, or substance use. I have community college to thank for my education. There is a world of opportunities in the nursing field and I can’t wait to see where my career takes me.”
The ACT created the Transforming Lives Awards program in 2012 to recognize current or former students whose lives have been transformed by pursuing higher education at a community or technical college. Find out more about the program and view this year’s nominees at sbctc.edu.
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