Meet Mary Smith: Wenatchee Valley College’s WVC President’s Medal Recipient

Wenatchee Valley College unveils its 2025 student award recipients.

The college said Mary Smith from the Wenatchee campus and Tonya Rasmussen from the Omak campus received the WVC President's medal for academic achievement, leadership, and service.

Meet Mary Smith

Smith, a Wenatchee resident, earned her associate degree in nursing and participated in the Student Nurses of Wenatchee club. She had a 4.0 GPA and consistently earned a spot on the WVC President's List each quarter.

READ MORE: WENATCHEE VALLEY COLLEGE NAMES 2025 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

“What distinguishes Mary most is her exceptional spirit. She treats everyone with kindness and empathy, approaches challenges with integrity, and goes above and beyond to support her classmates and the broader WVC community," said WVC Nursing Professor Kristen Baltz. "In every sense, [she] represents not only the ideals of the President’s Award, but the ethical and professional comportment of the nursing profession."

Meet Tonya Rasmussen

Rasmussen, an Okanogan resident, earned an associate of science-transfer degree. During her time at WVC Omak, Rasmussen sat on the hiring committee for the Omak campus dean, on the Student Cabinet hiring committee, and a tenure committee. Rasmussen plans to continue her education in behavioral health.

“I never dreamed I could even go this far, and yet the reality is that I can and will go even further,” Rasmussen said.

View the list of other award recipients when you click here.