INDIANAPOLIS – Forty-three students from Ivy Tech Community College campuses across the state were named to this year’s All-Indiana Academic Team for Community and Junior Colleges. 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-State Academic Team program in 1994 as a component of the All-USA Team for Community and Junior Colleges Competition. The All-Indiana Academic Team was first recognized in 1995.
Amy Mutz, a student at Ivy Tech’s Southwest Region, was the highest scoring applicant and was named the New Century Scholar. She will receive a $2,000 scholarship from the Coca-Cola Foundation and is honored at the annual American Association of Community Colleges convention. The New Century Scholars Program is also sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa. Mutz is studying Human Services with a career goal of earning a Master’s of Social Work and working in the field of Hospice Care or as a clinical therapist with adolescents and young adults. She serves as the president of her campus’ chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. She is also a member of the Human Services Club and a graduate of the Ivy Tech Student Leadership Academy. She volunteers with a YWCA afterschool program and Hospice.
Each year the Coca-Cola Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team. Nationally 50 students are named Gold Scholars, 50 are named Silver Scholars and 50 are named Bronze Scholars. This year a student from Ivy Tech Community College, Lauren Espique, was named a Silver Scholar on the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team. She will receive a $1,250 scholarship. Espique is studying molecular biology at Ivy Tech’s Central Indiana region. Her career goal is to become an interventional cardiologist. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the secretary of the Honor’s Council, a note-taker for the Disability Services Office, and a Student Ambassador for the Admissions Department.
OneAmerica also awards scholarships to the highest scoring All-USA applicants in Indiana who are not New Century Scholars. Jenna Yeakley, a student at Ivy Tech’s Logansport campus, and Albert Penny, a student at Ivy Tech’s Lawrenceburg campus, were named the 2016 OneAmerica Scholars. Each student will receive a $750 scholarship. Yeakley is a nursing student and plans to pursue a career as a registered nurse. Penny is a general studies student who plans to become an advocate for those who have a mental illness and/or substance abuse issues and would like to become a professor at Ivy Tech Community College.
The following additional Ivy Tech students represented the All-Indiana Academic Team:
Valerie Anderson, Ivy Tech Community College – Gary
Lindsay Back, Ivy Tech Community College – Batesville
Brian Bell, Ivy Tech Community College – Muncie
Taversia Borrelli, Ivy Tech Community College – Bloomington
Dorinda Brito, Ivy Tech Community College – Warsaw
Eric Burkhart, Ivy Tech Community College – Richmond
Daniel Cieply, Ivy Tech Community College – Valparaiso
Donna Clifton, Ivy Tech Community College – Elkhart
Katelyn Dunham, Ivy Tech Community College – Kokomo
Lauren Espique, Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis
Kaylyn Fannon, Ivy Tech Community College – South Bend
Lillia Faulkner, Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis
Melissa Fisher, Ivy Tech Community College – Marion
Jessica Fuller, Ivy Tech Community College – Terre Haute
Carlos Garcia, Ivy Tech Community College – East Chicago
Stephen Garner, Ivy Tech Community College – Michigan City
Isabella Gramaglia, Ivy Tech Community College – Lawrenceburg
Maribel Guillen, Ivy Tech Community College – Madison
Tommy Housman, Ivy Tech Community College – Southwest
Kristian Josifoski, Ivy Tech Community College – Valparaiso
Zachary Laughlin, Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus
Ayla Lawrence, Ivy Tech Community College – Logansport
Wanying Li, Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis
Brenda McCool, Ivy Tech Community College – Warsaw
Moriah Mercer, Ivy Tech Community College – Kokomo
Caroline Montgomery, Ivy Tech Community College – South Bend
Laura Mullen, Ivy Tech Community College – Elkhart
Amy Mutz, Ivy Tech Community College – Southwest
Jacob Myer, Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus
Morgan Myers, Ivy Tech Community College – Fort Wayne
Naomi Myers, Ivy Tech Community College – Fort Wayne
Charlotte Ocampo, Ivy Tech Community College – Sellersburg
Martha Ortega Zepeda, Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis
Matthew Paul, Ivy Tech Community College – Sellersburg
Albert Penny, Ivy Tech Community College – Lawrenceburg
Skylar Shaw, Ivy Tech Community College – Lafayette
Victoria Stoller, Ivy Tech Community College – Lafayette
Rachel Vessar, Ivy Tech Community College – Richmond
Kaleb Wagers, Ivy Tech Community College – Bloomington
Lydia Ward, Ivy Tech Community College – Batesville
Turqueya Wilson, Ivy Tech Community College – East Chicago
Jenna Yeakley, Ivy Tech Community College – Logansport
Jessica Zatarski, Ivy Tech Community College – Gary
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. 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.