Four students chosen for All-Iowa honors, scholarship support
Well over 100,000 students have enrolled in Iowa’s community colleges this year. Recent awards honored 55 students as All-Iowa Scholars, recognizing superior achievements in the classroom and their communities. One Kirkwood student also received a singular top honor in the state.
Iowa’s top community college students were honored at March 9 ceremonies in Des Moines. Four of those students are from Kirkwood Community College. Honored for exceptional scholarship were:
- Nicholas Anderson, a student at Kirkwood’s Iowa City campus. Anderson is a New Jersey native and came to Kirkwood through an Iowa family connection. He has earned Dean’s List honors each semester and is highly praised by his instructors. Anderson plans to continue his studies in electrical engineering at the University of Iowa following graduation.
- Michael Gilstrap is studying Landscape Maintenance and Management, earning Dean’s List honors and numerous scholarships in his two years at Kirkwood. Gilstrap was chosen as a Phi Theta Kappa Oustanding Member and also received the Bayer Science Academic Achievement award. He plans to continue studies in a horticulture-related field at either Iowa State University or Upper Iowa University.
- Thomas Langer is an eastern Iowa native and graduate of Cedar Rapids Washington High School. He is completing Kirkwood studies in liberal arts. Langer plans to continue studies in that field at the University of Iowa and eventually earn a master’s degree in social work. Langer has earned a near-perfect GPA at Kirkwood and is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa.
- After several years working in professional career, Carol Olson returned to college at Kirkwood to study accounting. She has received several academic scholarships and earned membership in the PTK honor society. She also earned the rare distinction as a Phi Theta Kappa New Century Scholar. She is the only student from Iowa to receive this honor, and one of 50 in the U.S. in 2011. Olson plans to continue her studies in accounting at Mount Mercy University.
In addition to their All-Iowa Scholar recognition, all four Kirkwood students received $500 awards from the college to support their continued studies. College trustees presented checks to the students, funded through the Kirkwood Foundation, at their March 10 meeting in Cedar Rapids.
Nearly 1,450 students from 800 community colleges in 49 states and Guam were nominated for USA TODAY’s 2009 All-USA Community College Academic Team. The selection process is administered by Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges. Membership in the society, which encourages academic excellence and promotes community service, is not a requirement for eligibility, but most awardees are members, and many hold leadership positions in their campus chapters.