INDIANAPOLIS –Thirty-six students from Ivy Tech Community College campuses across the state were named to this year’s All-Indiana Academic Team. This year, the entire team was comprised of Ivy Tech students. 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.
Brent Kleinhenz, a student at Ivy Tech’s Columbus 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. Kleinhenz, a nursing student, is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Student Leadership Academy, and serves as a referee for youth basketball and football programs.
For achieving the second highest score in the All-American competition, Elizabeth Lynch will receive a $1,500 scholarship from OneAmerica. Lynch is a business student at Ivy Tech’s Columbus campus. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, an English tutor and community volunteer.
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. Elizabeth Lynch was also named a Gold Scholar and received an additional $1,500 scholarship, and Shannon Jackson, an education major at Ivy Tech’s Sellersburg campus, was named a Silver Scholar and received a $1,250 scholarship.
The ceremony also recognized the following Ivy Tech students from the All-Indiana Academic Team:
Lynn Baldwin, Ivy Tech Richmond
Julia Batey, Ivy Tech Southwest
Rachel Brown, Ivy Tech Southeast
Padraic Creighton, Ivy Tech Kokomo
Kevin Curry, Ivy Tech Northwest
Bridgette Deyo, Ivy Tech Northeast
Emeka Ezeji, Ivy Tech North Central
Donna Gable, Ivy Tech Northeast
Nathan Goodwin, Ivy Tech Lafayette
Michael Hamilton, Ivy Tech East Central
Karen Hardwick, Ivy Tech Central Indiana
Jeremiah Hidlebaugh, Ivy Tech North Central
Lana Highfill, Ivy Tech Southern Indiana
Tabitha Jones, Ivy Tech Kokomo
Cara Keay, Ivy Tech Lafayette
Maureen Land, Ivy Tech Kokomo
Joy Newton, Ivy Tech Northwest
Laura Perez, Ivy Tech Northwest
Cynthia Piner, Ivy Tech East Central
Andrea Raftery, Ivy Tech Southeast
Janita Roberson, Ivy Tech Central Indiana
Pamela Saffran, Ivy Tech Northwest
Jennifer Scantland, Ivy Tech Richmond
Shyann Schmid, Ivy Tech Bloomington
Wyatt Showley, Ivy Tech Northwest
Cecilia Smith, Ivy Tech Northwest
Teresa Somerlot, Ivy Tech Southeast
Brenda Stellema, Ivy Tech Northwest
Autumn Thorne, Ivy Tech Southeast
Bethany Vandiver, Ivy Tech Kokomo
Delores Whitlock, Ivy Tech Wabash Valley
Dana Wichlinski, Ivy Tech Northwest
Re’Nardo Williams, Ivy Tech Bloomington
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.
Ivy Tech Community College 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.
