1. 6B MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011 USA TODAY
The All-USA
Community College
Academic Team
presented by USA TODAY, Phi Theta Kappa and the American Association of Community College,
and sponsored by Follett Higher Education Group
More than 1,600 students from 800 community colleges were nominated for USA TODAY’s 2011 All-USA
Community College Academic Team. Meet the 20 winners, who will be honored today in New Orleans.
Tyler Olsen “Community college
Cassandra Beverly becomes a vital
Merritt College Phoenix College channel to access the
Oakland, California Phoenix, Arizona baccalaureate degree.”
Age: 29 | GPA: 3.90 Age: 26 | GPA: 4.0 Rod Risley
Career Goal: Organizational Career Goal: Diplomat with Executive Director
Development Analyst U.S. State Department or of Phi Theta Kappa
United Nations Honor Society
Rachel Champoux
Southern Maine
Community College
Caitlyn Prichard
Chipola College
S ince USA TODAY’s All-USA Community
College Academic Team was created over
20 years ago, the program has expanded far
South Portland, Maine Marianna, Florida beyond its original scope.
Age: 16 | GPA: 3.97 Age: 20 | GPA: 4.0 The awards are administered by Phi Theta
Career Goal: Computer Science Career Goal: Agricultural lawyer Kappa, the honor society for community
with a concentration in Robotics colleges. Its executive director, Rod Risley,
has made it his mission to see that as many
Diane Dense Spenser Reed students as possible get recognition – and a
York County Community College St. Petersburg College shot at scholarship money.
Wells, Maine Clearwater, Florida As college costs continue to climb, “commu-
Age: 58 | GPA: 3.71 Age: 21 | GPA: 3.91 nity college becomes a vital channel to access
Career Goal: Teaching children Career Goal: Physician/ the baccalaureate degree,” Risley says. “An
with sight disabilities biomedical research scientist expanded program helps provide the opportu-
nity and raises awareness of the need.”
Geoffrey Dittberner Caitlin Rinker In 1994, Phi Theta Kappa and Mississippi’s
Minneapolis Community and Missouri’s Community College Presidents
Illinois Valley Community College
and Technical College Oglesby, Illinois launched the first All-State Community College
Minneapolis, Minnesota Academic Teams, and the idea quickly caught
Age: 20 | GPA: 4.0 on with programs now in 37 states. Any student
Age: 23 | GPA: 3.77
Career Goal: Doctor of veterinary nominated for the All-USA team is automati-
Career Goal: Lobbyist for
medicine cally on an All-State team. An estimated $40
non-profit organization
million in scholarships are designated by
senior colleges, universities, corporate spon-
Batool Saad sors and others exclusively for All-State
Natalie Chris Garland
Henry Ford Community College team members.
Somerset Community College
Dearborn, Michigan
Somerset, Kentucky In 2001, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
Age: 19 | GPA: 4.0 and, The Coca-Cola Foundation began offering
Age: 39 | GPA: 4.0
Career Goal: International $100,000 in awards for the top-scoring stu-
Career Goal: Physical Therapist
humanitarian lawyer dent from each state. The students, now called
“New Century Scholars,” receive $2,000 each.
Kellee Green The program has since expanded and now
Jared Schiff offers additional scholarships to nominees
Long Beach City College attending community colleges in Canada and
Green River Community College
Long Beach, California in five sovereign nations.
Auburn, Washington
Age: 36 | GPA: 4.0
Age: 20 | GPA: 3.98 The Coca Cola Scholars Foundation also
Career Goal: International
Career Goal: Mechanical engineer supports the Coca-Cola Community College
Development
Academic Team: $1,500 each to 50 Gold
Scholars, $1,250 each to 50 Silver Scholars,
David Seale $1,000 each to 50 Bronze Scholars. “It’s such
Michael Harris an honor for the student to even be nominated
County College of Morris for the All-USA Community College Academic
Deep Springs College Randolph, New Jersey
Dyer, Nevada Team that every single student and every
Age: 24 | GPA: 3.88 single nominating institution is recognized,”
Age: 19 | GPA: 3.75
Career Goal: International Risley says.
Career Goal: Lawyer
development
Trevor Johnson
Stacey Slintak JUDGES:
Rock Valley College
Mississippi Gulf Coast Rockford, Illinois Emily Brown
Community College
Age: 39 | GPA: 4.0 Marymount University
Gautier, Mississippi
Career Goal: Elementary Deanna D’Errico
Age: 23 | GPA: 4.0
education teacher or American Association of
Career Goal: History professor
special education teacher Community Colleges
Vernon Lee Kinabrew Carolyn Spencer Carolyn Dietel
Mount Holyoke College
Pearl River Community College Monroe Community College
Hattiesburg, Mississippi Rochester, New York Bob Dubill, Retired
Age: 29 | GPA: 3.92 Age: 20 | GPA: 3.85 USA TODAY
Career Goal: Tourism and Career Goal: CMO of a major Douglas Foard, Retired
hospitality industry corporation Phi Beta Kappa
Cassius Johnson
Laura Loret de Mola Jobs for the Future
Alina Turpin
Miami Dade College
Cerritos Community College Nancy Sanchez-Warren
Miami, Florida Kaplan Educational Foundation
Norwalk, California
Age: 20 | GPA: 3.94
Age: 22 | GPA: 4.0 Linda Sanders-Hawkins
Career Goal: Programming director
of major television company Career Goal: Publishing editor Howard University
Sharon Shoham
In addition to their generous sponsorships of the All-USA Community College Academic Team, Follett Higher Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Education Group will present $15,000 in textbook scholarships to the colleges of the student winners.