INDIANAPOLIS –Thirty-two students from Ivy Tech Community College campuses across the state were among the 36 students named to the All-Indiana Academic Team. The academic competition which scores students on academic honors, activities including leadership and work experience, and an essay, is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year colleges, USA TODAY, and the American Association of Community Colleges.

Phi Theta Kappa developed the All-Indiana Academic Team competition in 1994 as a component of the All-USA Team Competition. The top contestants are named to the First Team and runners up to the second and third teams.

Andrew Yurisich, a student of Ivy Tech’s Indianapolis campus, was the highest scoring applicant and was named the New Century Scholar.  He will receive a $2,000 scholarship from the Coca-Cola Foundation and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.  Yurisich, a computer information systems student, serves on the Student Government Executive Board, Student Senate and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa.  He is also a Dean’s List student.

For achieving the second highest score in the All-American competition, Andrea Saunders will receive a $1,500 scholarship from OneAmerica.  Saunders is a criminal justice student at Ivy Tech’s Bloomington campus.  She is a member of the Campus Activities Board, is a peer mentor and a member of Phi Theta Kappa.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team. Fifty students are named Gold Scholars, 50 are Silver Scholars, and 50 are Bronze Scholars, receiving a $1,000 scholarship. Three Ivy Tech students were named Bronze Scholars, including Saunders; Theresa Popp, a student at Ivy Tech’s Sellersburg campus; and Teresa Sluys, a student at Ivy Tech’s Columbus campus.

The ceremony recognized the following Ivy Tech students:

All-Indiana Academic Team:
Shannon Beard, Ivy Tech-Evansville
Sylvia Brooks, Ivy Tech-East Chicago
Daniel Burns, Ivy Tech-Michigan City
Tameka Burns, Ivy Tech-Richmond
Carrie Collins, Ivy Tech-Logansport
Marsha Dull, Ivy Tech-Terre Haute
Raymond Fuchs, Ivy Tech-Lawrenceburg
Beth Golding, Ivy Tech-Michigan City
Rachel Hedge, Ivy Tech-Lafayette
Russ Hernandez, Ivy Tech-Anderson
Barbara Hines, Ivy Tech-Valparaiso
Jennifer Hunter, Ivy Tech-Kokomo
Nichol Hunter, Ivy Tech-Fort Wayne
Kimberly Jacobs, Ivy Tech-Lawrenceburg
Christopher Klocek, Ivy Tech-Gary
Michelle MacKenzie, Ivy Tech-Sellersburg
James Marshall, Ivy Tech-Richmond
Natalie Myer, Ivy Tech-Lafayette
Ralph Myers III, Ivy Tech-Indianapolis
Derek Proffit, Ivy Tech-Fort Wayne
Ashley Qualkenbush, Ivy Tech-Bloomington
Myra Spearman, Ivy Tech-Valparaiso
Megan Thomas, Ivy Tech-Evansville
Susan Thompson, Ivy Tech-Gary
Darla Waite, Ivy Tech-Kokomo
Darlene Walden, Ivy Tech-Marion
Jill Weiss, Ivy Tech-Elkhart
Amy Yaryan, Ivy Tech-Columbus

Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for students of two-year colleges. With more than 1.3 million members, Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in American higher education.  Students must complete at least twelve hours of course work towards an associate degree and generally have at least a 3.5 grade point average to be considered.

About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.