
June 18, 2025 WSU Tri-Cities education student honored with Community Advocate Award
For Jesus Delgado Sholtys, navigating school as an English language learner came with challenges, and his hopes of attending college once seemed out of reach. But with encouragement from local educators, Delgado Sholtys earned a teaching degree from Washington State University Tri-Cities and was named the inaugural recipient of the College of Education Community Advocate Award from WSU’s College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences.
The award, presented to just one undergraduate student in teacher education across all WSU campuses, recognizes a student’s commitment to the university’s land-grant mission and leadership in academic and community settings.
Delgado Sholtys was nominated by WSU Tri-Cities faculty for his classroom leadership, work as a paraeducator, and advocacy for multilingual learners in the Tri-Cities region.
“Winning this award means doing your best does pay off,” Delgado Sholtys said. “And it encourages me to continue doing my best every single day, in everything I do.”
The College of Education Community Advocate Award is one of seven student honors presented annually by the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences. These awards recognize graduating students who exemplify WSU’s land-grant mission through community engagement, research, the education of diverse populations, and the real-world application of knowledge.
“This award highlights the heart of what we do at WSU Tri-Cities—serve communities, expand opportunity, and prepare the next generation to thrive,” said Lindsay Lightner, faculty member and Alternative Route program coordinator.
Delgado Sholtys’ path to becoming a teacher began in 2018, when he interviewed for a bilingual paraeducator position at Edison Elementary School in Kennewick.
“After getting the job, suddenly work didn’t feel like a tedious, unenjoyable task anymore—it became something I looked forward to every day,” he said.
He credits the “seeds of encouragement” from Edison’s vice principal and reading specialist Ms. Johnson—who also taught literacy at WSU Tri-Cities—for guiding him toward higher education. Johnson encouraged him to contact Lindsay Lightner at WSU Tri-Cities about the Alternative Route teacher certification program.
“Never in a million years would I have dared to dream that one day I would be graduating from WSU as an educator,” he said. “The rest, as they say, is history.”
The Alternative Route supports paraeducators currently working in local partner school districts. It allows participants to earn credit for prior learning and work experience, take university coursework, and complete a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education, along with special education, English language learners, or bilingual education add-on endorsements.
Delgado Sholtys graduated in May with a degree in elementary education and endorsements in bilingual education and English language learning. He plans to begin his teaching career in one of the local school districts.
“I want nothing more than to make my parents proud and take care of them the best I can,” he said.