The Washington State Association of College Trustees (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.
Each year, the ACT Awards Committee chooses five awardees from a pool of nominations from the state’s community and technical colleges. The awardees receive $500 from ACT and share their stories during the Transforming Lives Awards dinner held during the ACT winter conference in January. In addition to the awardees, all student nominees are recognized during the ceremony and are invited to the dinner.
Nitasha Lewis was nominated by Peninsula College. Here is her story:
Attending PC is the best decision I have ever made. For me, obtaining a college education is an investment that will pay off for the rest of my life. Being motivated to have better job opportunities, developing valuable skills, and becoming financially fit is what compelled me to attend community college.
I was married at 16 years old. Before then, my family had hoped that I’d be the first to go to college. I was a great student with a high GPA. All was well until I met someone who was eight years older than me and became pregnant prior to my 16th birthday. I dropped out of high school to become a wife and mother. Once I married, I found out that my husband was addicted to drugs. The trauma from that relationship caused me to become troubled. My confidence and self-esteem was low. I continued to make poor decisions with relationships. About 5 years ago, I was in yet another abusive relationship. When I decided to leave, he held my 11-year old son and me captive for two weeks. I was rescued when my abuser took my son and me to the DHS office in Texas to obtain assistance. I slid a note to the receptionist and she immediately called the police. The officer took us to a domestic violence shelter.
While we were at the shelter, I began thinking about my life. I knew that I needed to leave my old life behind. It was the perfect time to reinvent myself. I wanted to be able to provide for my family independently. Because I needed to be self-sufficient and successful, I made the decision to go to a community college. I was watching “Twilight” in the common room of the shelter and decided that the Peninsula was where I needed to be.
I started to research Peninsula College. On the website was a message about getting students where they needed to go. That message seemed to speak to me. I contacted Healthy Families, in Port Angeles, who had room for my family. Once I arrived, I enrolled at PC. As a single mother, it has not been an easy. Yet, I was not going to let anything stop me from obtaining a degree. I struggled to pay rent and other utilities while making payment arrangements for this or that. I utilized community resources in order to make ends meet.
Edie McLennan in the Workforce department was instrumental in my success. She recognized my zeal and helped to breakdown any barriers that I was facing. She listened, offered assistance, and helped me obtain my position with Upward Bound.
Attending Peninsula College has transformed my life. I enrolled broken and had no idea what was in store for my future. I have obtained my AA degree in Addiction Studies and I am currently in my fourth quarter of the BAS program. After I graduate, I will immediately enroll in WGU to obtain a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. My future is uncertain, but PC has helped me discover a path that matches my zeal. I have learned to be independent and have acquired skills and the knowledge necessary to provide a better future for my family. My mentors at Peninsula College not only noticed my potential but they’ve helped me to exceed it. My advice to other students is to invest in their education because it will transform them into the best version of themselves.
