Two South Seattle Community College students on Thursday will be named to the All-Washington Academic Team in an awards ceremony in Olympia.

Khoa Ho and Kathie Pham will be recognized as top community and technical college students for their academic achievement and community service. The two are part of a group of students representing the state's two-year colleges and nominated through a state program modeled after the national All-USA Academic Team, initiated by Phi Theta Kappa, the two-year college international honor society.

If there is one word that describes Khoa Ho it's involved, both on campus and off. Ho is vice president of the International Students Club, membership chair of Phi Theta Kappa, and math and science tutor at the college tutoring center. Off campus he teaches Vietnamese to Vietnamese American kids, tutors at an area high school and volunteers with the elderly through his church. This is done while carrying a full course load and maintaining a high grade point average.

Sometimes a change of environment is all a student needs to succeed. For Kathie Pham, it was her decision to become a Running Start student, Washington's high school college credit program. Since then, she has become a leader inside and outside of the classroom. As the Academic Success Committee Chair at the college, she has helped foster a program where students can take faculty to lunch, which has improved the learning community on campus. In another instance, an instructor recalled how Pham empowered her fellow students in a group project to "take ownership" of their presentation.

The two students will be honored at an award ceremony at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia. Each will receive an All-Washington Academic Team medallion, a $750 scholarship, and be personally recognized by Gov. Christine Gregoire.