Three Southeast Community
College students were among dozens who were honored for their academics,
leadership and service Tuesday during a ceremony in downtown Lincoln.
The Phi Theta Kappa
All-Nebraska Academic Team honors took place April 18 at Embassy Suites. Each
student received a $1,000 scholarship.
SCC students Elizabeth Tomky
of Lamar, Jesse Carias of Columbus and Elizabeth Haase of Milford received
scholarships from PTK, the international honor society of two-year colleges. All
six of Nebraska’s community colleges participate in PTK activities.
Tomky attended SCC’s Beatrice
Campus as an Academic Transfer student and will pursue a degree in dental hygiene
through the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“Overall SCC is very
important to me, because I made such good friends and had such great
instructors,” she said. “Everyone was very supportive.”
Carias, also an Academic Transfer
student at Beatrice, will start SCC’s Practical Nursing program and hopes to
eventually earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
“My future occupation is to
be a traveling nurse or a nursing educator,” Carias said.
Haase, who attended SCC’s
Milford Campus, studied Business Administration. She plans to move to Colorado
after graduation and work in the restaurant industry.
“Anyone can obtain success if
they try hard and believe in themselves,” she said.
In order to qualify for the
scholarships, students must have a 3.5 cumulative grade-point average and be a
member of PTK. Two-hundred scholarships are given out each year from the honor
society.
Courtney Dentlinger, director
of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, was the featured speaker.
Dentlinger encouraged students to stay in their home state, where jobs are
plentiful.
“You are the future of
Nebraska, you are going to take our state to the next level,” she said.
SCC President Dr. Paul Illich
provided opening remarks and congratulated students for taking part in Phi
Theta Kappa and participating in extracurricular activities during college.