White Pass High School Teacher Named to Centralia College Board of Trustees
Sep. 20—A longtime White Pass teacher has been appointed as the newest member of the Centralia College Board of Trustees, according to a Monday news release from the college.
Pretrina Mullins, a Centralia College graduate who has been a teacher the last 27 years, the last 21 of which have been at White Pass High School, was appointed to a five-year term on the board by Gov. Jay Inslee.
Her appointment was announced at the board's Sept. 9 meeting. Mullins' appointment begins Oct. 14. She replaces Stuart Halsan, a former Washington state lawmaker who served on the board for the last decade.
"I want to not only represent East Lewis County, but to contribute to the educational foundations that helped me so many years ago," she said in a statement. "Also, as a trustee, I believe I can provide a positive insight as someone whose experiences closely resemble those students who attend Centralia College now and in the future."
Mullins graduated from Centralia College in 1991, having received guidance at the college's east county campus.
"Thirty years ago, after several unsuccessful attempts to finish my education, I became a student again. I struggled staying focused on my academics through high school and found myself floundering between jobs and two other community colleges before deciding to go back and finish the job," Mullins said.
She would then go on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in education and social science at Pacific Lutheran University, and also went on to earn a second master's degree in educational leadership from Seattle Pacific University in 2007.
She cites her time at Centralia College as being the pivotal driving force behind her success, according to the news release.
Halsan said he's "very impressed with Pretrina Mullins, and I think she'll be a wonderful addition to the board. Having a K-12 educator will add wonderful perspective."
The board of trustees is a five-person body consisting of community leaders appointed by the Washington state governor. It meets the second Thursday of every month.
It was also announced Mark Scheibmeir, a senior attorney with Hillier, Scheibmeir, Kelly, and Satterfield, was reappointed to the board for his second five-year term.
