Highline Community College has selected Des Moines resident Serenity Carr as the recipient of the college's top academic honor.
The Shirley B. Gordon Award for Academic Excellence recognizes an outstanding graduate who has achieved high academic excellence and has benefited from the community college experience.

During her time at Highline, Carr found her passion for language and helping others.

"Highline gave me a future," said Carr. "I had little to nothing to look forward to before I started school.
Highline has given me the start I needed to be something great."

Carr is a single mom and has devoted numerous hours to her volunteer work, including working with the Des Moines Food Bank in delivering food to local families and as a teaching assistant to Highline's Honor Scholar Program.

During the 2010-11 academic year, she served as the local chapter president of Phi Theta Kappa ( PTK ), the international honor society for two-year colleges. In 2009-10, she served as the chapter's vice president of service.

In addition, she overcame her fear of public speaking and shared her story during the college's Legislative Breakfast, University of Washington Future Faculty Panel and the annual HCC Foundation Gala, which raised thousands of dollars to help fund the education of students.

She will continue her education at Smith College in Northampton, Mass., in fall 2011 and plans on studying linguistics and biology.

Highline's top academic honor is named after Dr. Shirley B. Gordon, an important figure in the development of the college and the first female president of a publicly funded college district in Washington state. She served as the college's president for 14 years.

Dr. Gordon was appointed to the PTK National Board of Directors in 1986 and named chairman 1988. She led in this capacity for 20 years, making her the longest-serving chairman in PTK's history.

For more information about the Shirley B. Gordon Award for Academic Excellence and the HCC Foundation, visit www.funds4highline.org.