OLYMPIA - When Cristian Ramon began working in orchards in Quincy at age 13, she awoke at 3:30 a.m. each morning to start her day picking apples and cherries.

It wasn't the kind of life she wanted and it motivated her to pursue higher education and transform her life.

In Olympia last week, Ramon celebrated the realization of her goal as she received a $500 Transforming Lives Award from the Trustee Association of Community and Technical Colleges.

Community and technical college trustees were asked to nominate one current or former student whose life was transformed when they overcame obstacles and achieved their higher education goals at Washington community or technical colleges.

Big Bend Community College Trustee Mike Blakely immediately thought of Ramon and the rest of the Big Bend trustees agreed to nominate her for the award, he said.

Blakely first met Ramon when he served as a judge for high school senior projects.

Ramon and her friend Lupe Cortez volunteered at Quincy Community Health Center and visited orchards, teaching migrant workers about dental care, nutrition, AIDS prevention, and general health issues and sanitation practices.

The pair won the national "Heroes of Health Award for Healthy Systems," sponsored by the Washington Health Foundation and the Healthiest State Campaign in 2008.

When Ramon's education goals came up, Blakely asked how she intended to reach them.

"She kind of gulped a couple times," said Blakely. "She said, 'I'm not sure.'"

Later, Blakely found Ramon crying in the hallway, overcome with emotion that someone had taken a personal interest in helping her achieve her education goals.

"My mom always told me that if I didn't want to be poor for the rest of my life, I had to go to school," said Ramon. "I've always been into learning, so it was not an option to not go to school. But then when I got to high school, when I graduated, I realized I didn't have the money to continue, so I didn't know what I was going to do and then Mr. Blakely, he took me under his wing and helped me get some scholarships and he's been helping me ever since."

Blakely helped Ramon apply for scholarships to Big Bend Community College and she was awarded $6,000 by the Weinstein Beverage Co. to complete her Associate degree.

She graduated from Big Bend with honors and now attends the University of Washington on an academic scholarship, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. She plans to go on to pursue a Master's degree in neurobiology.

Ramon told her story last week during the Transforming Lives Award ceremony at the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia.

"It was an honor to represent Big Bend Community College and I just felt thankful to be there and to hear all these wonderful stories of people who have worked so hard and who are just as deserving of the award," she said.

"I think - at least, I hope - it makes people realize that money should not be a barrier to getting an education, because it really was for me," she said. "But you know, if you really want something, if you honestly want something, people are going to see that ... There is help out there and I want people to know that there are scholarships out there and there are people who really want to see others succeed. You just have to find the right people and sometimes you don't have to look too far to find those people. Sometimes they just come, kind of like your willingness to succeed attracts them to you."

Ramon hopes to someday use the knowledge she gains through her education to research cures for neurological diseases.

"I'm betting on her," said Blakely. "If somebody does cure Alzheimer's or ... Parkinson's ... by God, it's going to be her."