Skagit Valley College bestows prestigious Yates Award on Orcas student

||| FROM SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE |||

This year, an Orcas Island student was nominated for the Yates Award, the highest award bestowed at the Skagit Valley College Whidbey Island Campus. The award is given in honor of Rear Admiral Earl Preston “Buddy” Yates who was the commanding officer at NAS Whidbey from 1969-1971, and honors a student who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, community service, and academic achievement. To be considered for the Yates Award, students are nominated, with the award’s selection being made by a committee comprised of students, faculty, and staff.

Evelyn “Evie” Smith is a student nearing completion of a High School Diploma and AA – Transfer Degree from Skagit Valley College. She’s forged a unique path and achieved exceptional success, including with the “Yates Award” at the college’s recent Honors Reception.

In order to receive the award, a student must meet the following criteria:

1. The student must possess high ethical and moral standards.
2. The student must have shown consistent effort in fulfilling assignments and attendance in class, indicating their ability to persevere in the attainment of a reputable scholastic standing.
3. The student displays those qualities of good citizenship such as a willingness to help and understand others, projecting in their daily contacts, and a warm and personal feeling toward others.
4. The student exhibits sincere intellectual curiosity.
5. The student’s association with others demonstrates a genial regard for  people.
6. The student demonstrates a subtle obvious sense of humor.
7. Must be a graduating student with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

She is an amazingly sincere and self-driven student who has accomplished so much! She will earn an AAS Transfer Degree along with a High School Diploma this summer from SVC. She has engaged with faculty and staff from the San Juan Center for help and support to achieve. She is a respectful, optimistic, and kind student who has made the most of her opportunities at SVC. She is sincerely grateful for her experience. The world needs more Evies to influence her Community far beyond!

Evelyn “Evie” Smith

In her own words:

I think, most likely as many people have, that the past year and a half have been remarkably unpredictable. When I first stepped into the San Juan campus of Skagit Valley College I had absolutely no way of predicting any of the coming years–or even the imagination to try. The only thing I knew was that I wanted an Associates degree, and that possibly–in the unforeseeable seeming future–I’d get my hands on a high school diploma.

I’ll spare you and skip the gory details but, I’m standing here now–nearly two years later and just a quarter away from both degrees with a Yates Award and the awareness that I doubt I’ll ever be able to go out in public without wearing a mask and feel normal.

Despite COVID’s drastic effects–I think I do have it in massive part to thank for my award winning, and possibly future successes I have yet to even begin. At least, I like to look on the positive side of it that way. There’s a level of flexibility I was forced to learn–switching to not only online classes but online communication.

However, if I want to thank COVID I think I have to first thank the crew at Skagit Valley College for helping me learn that flexibility, and also be the safety net helping my mistakes be a bit softer. Not only the professors, who were also transitioning honestly fantastically into online teaching which I cannot imagine trying to do–but also just the staff at the San Juan campus. People like Randy Martin and Jane Fox who (unbelievably) patiently coached me through even the most minute of paperwork to make sure I got the education I wanted.

Also: hi mom! Hi dad! You both were beyond words imperative to my success and I cannot thank either of you enough. Also look! I’m in the newspaper!

The surprising thing to me about the Yates award–is that I got it at all. I haven’t won many awards in the past (unless you count the hundreds of perfectly polished participation trophies I keep in a crystal cabinet) and when Randy told me I’d won this one I was shocked. The Yates Award is in honor of an Admiral who’s a massive part of the reason for the Skagit Valley College campus on Whidbey. The award is meant to recognize students who show a dedication to their schoolwork through perseverance and driven by genuine intellectual curiosity.

Most importantly though–it’s specified that the student who wins the award must have a level of geniality, and kindness, and when I first heard I won the award I was shocked–but it was this detail that really got to me. I try, in my life, to show people kindness that I would like shown to me, and in the case of schooling during COVID that meant my near-constant emails were filled with little jokes and warm regards because I personally didn’t think I’d be able to handle reading the 70-plus emails I was sending these lovely people per week if they were devoid of any humor.

Of course that wasn’t all, but it was one of the reasons Randy mentioned when he explained why they’d decided to put my name in the running. I’m still beyond words honored to have received the award, and soon call myself a graduate of Skagit Valley College, and both those facts will be something I honestly treasure for years to come.