Centralia College instructor Emily Hammargren was recently named the recipient of the 2021 Faculty Member Award, selected by the Washington State Association of College Trustees. Hammargren teaches GED and high school diploma classes at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton and currently teaches exclusively to incarcerated individuals in solitary confinement. As part of her work, she teaches students of all ages and backgrounds. “People ask me if this is a thankless job, but it’s actually a very thankful job,” she said in a news release from Centralia College. “People are very thankful. It’s really rewarding to see success in a place that can push people so far down. My students start to think about a different life for themselves, and that’s really rewarding.” In addition to her teaching work, she also started the 1,000 Mile Running Club to bring running to incarcerated adults. “Ms. Hammargren stepped into a high security environment where she demonstrated her courage and commitment in a difficult learning environment,” said Doris Wood-Brumsickle, chair of Centralia’s Board of Trustees. “Using her kind and compassionate approach to teaching students, she has earned enthusiastic reviews from those whom she teaches.”
