At Evergreen, learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. For student leader Maria Atristain, it extends into food banks, community partnerships, and the everyday work of making sure people have what they need to succeed.
That commitment recently earned Atristain a Student Civic Leadership Award from the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good, a recognition of students across the state who turn education into meaningful public impact.
Turning Learning Into Action
Atristain’s work is grounded in Evergreen’s model of community-based learning, particularly through the Center for Community-Based Learning and Action (CCBLA). There, she has served in leadership roles at the Basic Needs Center, supporting students navigating food insecurity, housing challenges, and access to essential resources.
In her video interview, Atristain reflects on how that work shaped her growth, not just academically, but personally.
“It has helped my learning a lot,” she explains, noting how problem-solving in real-time community situations strengthened her skills and perspective.
Her work sits at the intersection of education and care, helping peers meet immediate needs while building systems that support long-term success.
A Community Effort
Atristain is quick to point out that her recognition is not hers alone.
Her work is deeply collaborative, shaped by the relationships she’s built with fellow students, staff, and community partners. That ethos reflects the broader mission of CCBLA, which connects students with real-world challenges and organizations across the region.
As CCBLA director Ellen Shortt-Sanchez emphasizes, students like Atristain embody what civic learning is meant to be: “This is what it looks like when students connect their education to community.”
Shortt-Sanchez highlights how Atristain’s leadership is not just about service, but about building reciprocal relationships where students and communities learn from and support one another.
Leadership Rooted in Care
At the heart of Atristain’s work is a simple but powerful idea: showing up for others matters.
Through her role at the Basic Needs Center, she has helped create a space where students feel seen and supported, whether they’re seeking food assistance, navigating complex systems, or just looking for connection.
That kind of leadership often happens quietly, but its impact is wide-reaching. Community-based learning programs like CCBLA are designed to do exactly this: bridge theory and practice, ensuring that education remains connected to real-world needs and public good.
Recognition That Reflects a Larger Mission
The Student Civic Leadership Award recognizes individual achievement, but it also points to something larger: the role institutions like Evergreen play in cultivating engaged, community-centered leaders.
For Atristain, the honor reflects years of work rooted in collaboration, persistence, and care.
And while awards mark milestones, her focus remains forward-looking, continuing to support her community, strengthen systems of care, and carry the lessons of Evergreen’s learning model into whatever comes next.