Green River Community College student Doug Gannon received the second highest academic award in the state Thursday (March 26, 2009) at the annual All-Washington Academic Team celebration in Olympia.

In addition to being recognized as a Trustee Scholar – one of two in the state – Gannon was singled-out by Gov. Christine Gregoire for his service to America and his desire to go into a “green” career. “Doug is an example of what all of you represent, which is the future,” Gov. Gregoire told the state’s top community and technical scholars.

Gannon, who is mulling various career and educational options in the alternative/sustainable energy field, spent 16 years in the Air Force. He came to Green River through the Veteran’s Conservation Corps program and will graduate this spring with a degree in Geographic Information Systems and Natural Resources. Earlier this month, Gannon was named to the All-USA Coca-Cola Gold Scholar Team, which honors the top 70 community college students in the country.

Green River’s other academic all-star has his sights set on attending MIT in the fall to major in chemical engineering. In addition to his rigorous academic load, Eric Januar, a 19-year-old international student from Jakarta, Indonesia, is a member of CLEO and a volunteer peer leader with other international students. Januar also was honored nationally as an All-USA Coca-Cola National Finalist.

Both students received $750 scholarships from KeyBank and NELA (National Education Loan Association). As a Trustee Scholar, Gannon also received a $1,000 scholarship from the Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges. The All-Washington Team is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges.