From left, high school Dual Enrollment student Georgia Horosky; Dr. Vicki Bastecki-Perez, 海角社区 President; Computer Science major Mercy Ifiegbu; and Psychology major Dani Arcos Narvaez at the All-Pennsylvania Academic award ceremony in Harrisburg, Pa. The students were named to the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team. Photo by Diane VanDyke
April is Community College Month, and three 海角社区 students demonstrated the value of a community college education by receiving statewide honors for their performance in and out of the classroom recently.
Psychology major Dani Arcos Narvaez, high school Dual Enrollment student Georgia Horosky and Computer Science major Mercy Ifiegbu were recently named to the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team. The team is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year colleges, and The Pennsylvania for Community Colleges.
This recognition honors an exceptional group of community college students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated a commitment to their colleges and communities. To qualify, students must have completed at least 36 credits and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges will recognize the three students with other award recipients state-wide in Harrisburg April 2.
Narvaez, 25, is a native of Ecuador, who currently lives in Norristown. In addition to being the vice president of scholarship for the Alpha Kappa Zeta chapter of PTK on Blue Bell Campus, she is also the Student Government Association president, a student ambassador, a member of the President鈥檚 Leadership Council and a member of the 2025 Middle States Steering Committee. She鈥檚 also a member of , the national honor society for psychology students attending two-year colleges, and the Honors Club.
鈥淚t feels amazing,鈥� she said on the scholarship. 鈥淚t feels surreal. It鈥檚 something I wasn鈥檛 expecting.鈥�
Horosky, 17, is a student in the Owen J. Roberts School District from St. Peters Village in Chester County. She is the current president of Beta Tau Lambda chapter of PTK at the Pottstown Campus and a member of the Rotaract Club. This fall she鈥檒l be attending Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio to study Agriculture Business.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting,鈥� she said of the award. 鈥淓specially for how young I am. It鈥檚 definitely interesting.鈥�
Ifiegbu, 20, is a Nigerian international student from Botswana, who currently lives in Chestnut Hill. In addition to her membership with Alpha Kappa Zeta chapter of PTK, she was vice president of the International Club, she is a student ambassador and she is president of the Computer Science club, Codebreakers. She鈥檚 also vice president of Rotaract Club, and a Bucknell Community College Scholar. Lastly, she鈥檚 a student worker at the IT Support Services Help Desk.
鈥淚鈥檓 honored,鈥� she said of the scholarship. 鈥淲hen I applied last fall, I didn鈥檛 know how big of thing it was. I thought I鈥檇 get a small scholarship in transfer money. It motivates me to contribute to the community. Balancing everything with classes, work, clubs has been so hard, it鈥檚 nice to get that encouragement.鈥�
Pennsylvania鈥檚 community colleges collaborate with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) universities to provide a tuition waiver to eligible All-Pennsylvania Transfer Team members at PASSHE institutions, providing two years of tuition at any PASSHE university.