Pima Community College Students Named to All-USA Academic Team
Recognized for Intellectual Achievement, Leadership, and Community and Campus Engagement
Tucson, AZ – Pima Community College students recently were recognized on the state and national level for their academic achievements by the All-USA Team Academic Scholarship Program.
National awards
Pima’s Halianna Piller and Andrea Salazar Calderon (featured image; Piller on left, Salazar Calderon on right) were two of only 20 college students named to the prestigious All-USA Academic Team and each will receive a $5,000 scholarship. More than 2,000 students were nominated for this award.
Salazar Calderon and Piller will be recognized during the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) virtual convention in May. In addition to the scholarship funds, they will be presented with a commemorative medallion, and the college will receive a commemorative obelisk.
All-USA Academic Team members were selected for their outstanding intellectual achievement, leadership, and community and campus engagement.
The All-USA Academic Team is sponsored by Cengage, with additional support provided by Phi Theta Kappa and AACC. Cengage’s industry-leading subscription for textbooks and materials, Cengage Unlimited, has helped community college students save more than $130 million on course materials since August 2018.
“Community colleges play an important role in providing affordable education that helps students transition successfully to the workforce,” said Kevin Carlsten, senior vice president of the U.S. Higher Education Institutional Group at Cengage. “Unfortunately, community colleges felt the largest enrollment impact from the pandemic with a decline of nearly 15% in two years. We want to do all we can to support community college leaders and students with affordable access to quality education and are deeply inspired by the achievements of this year’s All-USA Academic Team, as prime examples of the power of learning.”
Salazar Calderon also was named as a 2022 New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar and will receive a $2,250 scholarship. New Century Transfer Scholars are selected based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, activities, and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. Over 2,200 students were nominated from more than 1,200 college campuses across the country. Only one New Century Transfer Scholar is selected from each state.
The New Century scholars program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa, and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).
Hannah Irwin and Maximus Luevanos were named as 2022 Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholars, with Irwin awarded a Silver Scholar ranking and a $1,250 scholarship and Luevanos a Bronze Scholar ranking and a $1,000 scholarship.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver, and 50 Bronze Scholars annually. Each scholar also receives a commemorative medallion.
State Awards
Irwin, Luevanos, Piller and Salazar Calderon also were among the 10 Pima students named to the All-Arizona team, with all four achieving a 1st team ranking.
Also named to the All-Arizona 1st team were Rachel Gravina, Angela Ho, and Danielle Ostrop. Michele Dashiell, Genesis Benedith and Jakelynn Wert were named to the 2nd team.
About the All-USA Academic Team Scholarship Program
The All-USA program is widely recognized as the most prestigious academic honor for students attending associate degree-granting institutions. Each college may nominate two students for showing intellectual rigor and demonstrating academic achievement, leadership, and civic growth. The program also recognizes students who extend their community college education to better themselves, their schools, and their surrounding community.
The program is sponsored by Cengage with additional support provided by the American Association of Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa. Nominees to the All-USA Academic Team may also be considered for the Coca-Cola Academic Team, New Century Scholars Programs, and All-State Academic Teams when applicable. Learn more about the All-USA Academic Team Scholarship Program.
About Cengage
Cengage, the U.S. Higher Education business of global education technology company Cengage Group, serves millions of instructors, learners, and institutions. Cengage delivers affordable, high-quality digital products and personalized support to power learning individually and at scale. Cengage’s customer-centered approach enables innovation, including Cengage Unlimited, the first and only all-access digital subscription for textbooks and course materials. Cengage’s textbooks, homework tools, and flagship online learning platforms, MindTap and WebAssign, help educators and students achieve their goals.
Visit Cengage or on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.
About the Coca-Cola Foundation
The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. Since its inception in 1984, the Foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to support sustainable community initiatives around the world. For more information about the foundation, please visit The Coca-Cola Foundation online.
About the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation celebrates and empowers visionary leaders who are refreshing the world. Supporting more than 1,400 exceptional college students each year, it awards $3.55 million in scholarships annually through three nationally recognized programs. Learn more at Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at ptk.org.
CONTACT:
Libby Howell, APR, Executive Director
Media, Government and Community Relations
520-549-9093, ehowell1@pima.edu