MOSES LAKE — Sarah McDonnell, the newest member on the Board of Trustees at Big Bend Community College, sat in on her first board meeting Thursday afternoon after being appointed by Governor Bob Ferguson last week. McDonnell said she realized she still has a lot to learn about the position, but she is excited to take on the challenge. 

“These are some talented people, they know their stuff and Sarah Thompson Tweedy knows what she’s doing,” she said. “I just need to lean into these people that are here to learn how things work, get a feel of what the needs are in our area according to them and see what I can supplement. It’s definitely going to be a learning curve, but I’m up for the challenge.” 

McDonnell is a longtime resident of Ephrata, graduating from Ephrata High School and going on to receive the foundation scholarship to attend BBCC. Following graduation from Big Bend, she then transferred to the University of New Mexico to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology.  

After spending some time outside of the Basin, McDonnell decided in 2009 that it was time to return to Ephrata to raise her family. This is when she started at Clear Risk Solutions and has since become the Program Administrator and Director of the Nonprofit Insurance Program.  

Her decision to join the Board of Trustees at BBCC came from the experience she had from attending the college herself and living in the community, where she saw how vital a resource it was to the area. 

“I think it’s really important what Big Bend offers to the area, both people who have resources and people who don’t, is really unique,” said McDonnell. “I think a lot of areas that are rural get missed in the bigger conversations sometimes, so for me and just watching different communities that I lived in and different places, I think it’s really important that people have access to education and are inspired to go get educated.” 

She said in her time as a board member, she wants to learn more about the school and how it can be promoted more in the community with equity and equal access to anyone interested.  

“It is important to me to just be sure things are equitable, meaning people from Ephrata, from Mattawa, from Othello, are able to get to education if they want it,” said McDonnell. “Maybe that means through their school, maybe that doesn’t. If transportation is a problem, maybe we partner with other people, just really making sure that people have actual access if they need it and want it.” 

Ensuring that the community is connected to the resources that they need to attain this level of education is key to the success of these students, she said and wants to make sure that people are aware that these resources exist and can take advantage of them. As someone who directly benefited from a resource such as the Foundation Scholarship, McDonnell wants that same opportunity available to all students. 

“I think sometimes in our area, it can be easy for those of us who are in business or any industry to stay in touch with what people are going through,” she said. “I think it is really important to make sure we look up a little bit and try to make sure that people have what they need and can make the life that they want.” 

Being connected to people in the community is something McDonnell said she is looking forward to as a board member. 

“I think it’s important that people who are making decisions stay in touch with what people actually want, so I like the approach of this board of trustees. I think that they want to be involved with what people are doing and dealing with,” she said.  

The next regularly scheduled board meeting is March 19.