Bellevue College student Amyr Zafar Haq, of Bellevue, has been named a Northwest Career Educators and Employers Association 2010 Student of The Year.

The award, which includes an $800 scholarship, honors Haq’s service as a Bellevue College Rotaract Nepal/USA Disability Awareness Campaign Intern in 2009.

In that position, Haq and five other interns journeyed to Nepal for 10 days to learn about the physical, social and financial challenges faced by local residents with disabilities.

After returning from Nepal, Haq and his fellow interns implemented a series of service projects and events to raise disability awareness – including a campuswide event called The Ability Experience, which gave students, faculty and staff the opportunity to experience some of what it means to live with a disability.

Haq also initiated a fundraising campaign to buy wheelchairs for one of the agencies his delegation visited in Nepal. Two wheelchairs have been donated so far.

Haq already holds an associate in arts and sciences degree from Bellevue College and will receive a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Washington in June. He is continuing at Bellevue College to continue his preparation for medical school, with the ultimate goal of improving access to medical care in underserved areas of the world.

The Northwest Career Educators and Employers Association (NCEEA) is a partnership of business, industry, government, colleges, and universities from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

The organization was formed to promote the issues related to employment, recruitment, work-based learning, cooperative education, internships, field experience, volunteer opportunities, career development and other related workforce issues.