The DCCCD students chosen for the All-Texas Academic Team excel in academics and are campus leaders involved in community service.
Contact: Debra Dennis
214-378-1851,
ddennis@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — April 12, 2016
(DALLAS) — Honor students, administrators and advisors from the Dallas County Community College District walked away with dozens of awards and commendations that they received during the 2016 Texas Regional Convention of Phi Theta Kappa in Waco recently.
Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year colleges, has 1,285 chapters in all 50 states, U.S. territories and eight sovereign nations. Its mission is to recognize the academic and leadership success of its members.
“The colleges of DCCCD really were recognized for their leadership, scholarship and academic research,” said Anna Mays, the district’s associate vice chancellor of educational policy for student success. “Our students not only can put this accomplishment on their resumes because PTK is recognized internationally, but they also can do a lot of networking — and that gives them a good foundation.”
Many PTK members are the first in their families to go to college, Mays said. “We are very proud of them,” she stated. “They are focused. They have a higher graduation rate, and they are engaged.”
DCCCD Administrators Inducted Into the Texas Hall of Honor
- Mays was inducted into the Texas Hall of Honor for College Administrators for her unwavering support of PTK.
- Dr. Jennifer Wimbish, president of Cedar Valley College; Dr. Jean Conway, president of Eastfield College; and Dr. Christa Slejko, president of North Lake College, were inducted into the Hall of Honor for Chief Executive Officers for promoting the goals of PTK.
- Five Star Awards, the highest rank awarded in the Texas PTK system, were given to North Lake, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, Mountain View and Richland colleges. The schools were recognized with the highest rating for their strong chapter activities, which reflect the scholarly ideals of PTK.
Colleges, Chapters, Advisors Earn Honors
Brookhaven and El Centro
- El Centro and Brookhaven colleges received Four Star Awards.
- El Centro’s Sigma Tau chapter received the following: College Project Award of Merit; Honors in Action; and College Project Participation. Hall of Honor recipients were Ana Ortiz and William Kaseu.
- The Hall of Honor Advisor Award was presented to Karen Stills Royster.
Cedar Valley
- Cedar Valley College’s Alpha Zeta Omicron chapter was first runner-up in the Most Distinguished Chapter category. The school also took home the Action Award of Distinction and the College Project Award of Merit.
- Individual awards were given to Alma Renteria, Eian Gallegos and Jaimi Singleton, all for District II Hall of Honor distinction.
- Chapter advisors Dr. Tommy Thompson, Rebekah Rio-Harris, Miyoshi Holmes and Carolyn Bowell-Ward were honored as the Distinguished Chapter Advisor Team. This award was offered for the first time this year. Thompson also received the Horizon Award for Advisors. Rios-Harris was named Most Outstanding Advisor.
Eastfield
- Eastfield College received awards for Project Participation and Honors in Action.
Mountain View
- Lori De La Cruz, sustainability coordinator for Mountain View College, took home the Tejas Award for exemplary support of PTK. This award — which is not given to a student or advisor — is presented to a supporter who has shown strong advocacy on PTK’s behalf.
- Mountain View College PTK chapter officers were inducted into the Hall of Honor: Valerie Diaz, chapter president, plus Bianca Munoz, Valerie Diaz, Eduard Prieto Cabalerro and Jose Castaneda.
- Second-year Mountain View student Babatunde Adetoro was named a 2016 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team silver honoree. Fellow MVC student Munoz received the bronze scholar award. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the program and provides nearly $200,000 in scholarships each year. Adetoro and Munoz were nominated by faculty advisor Darius Frasure for their community service, grade point average, leadership and college engagement. More than 1,900 applications were submitted for this award.
North Lake
- The North Lake College chapter went home with several honors, including: Award of Merit for College Project; Award of Merit for Honors in Action for Theme 6; and the Congeniality Award. A Friend of the Chapter award was given to Mike Moore, who is the Follett Bookstore manager at North Lake.
- Texas Hall of Honor student inductees were Ojaswee Giri and Sadiya Patele.
- District II Hall of Honor inductees were Manuella Logbo, Jean-Christian Guiton, Dragana Repaga, Dr. Yolanda Romero (North Lake’s PTK advisor) and Emilie Turner, an assistant in the Student Life office.
Richland
- Richland College students were recognized for academic excellence and received Texas Hall of Honor certificates. They were: Omar Demachkie, Jessica Arriaga, Melissa Savoy and Samra Tariq.
- Chapter advisor Melanie Pruit was recognized with a Texas Hall of Honor certificate for her contributions. Professor Jon Ewing received a Texas Region Hall of Honor medallion in recognition of his contributions as an advisor for the Richland chapter.
For more information, contact Debra Dennis in the DCCCD office of public and governmental affairs at 214-378-1851 or at
ddennis@dcccd.edu.
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