UT System and Texas Association of Community Colleges honor outstanding community college students at 2023 All-Texas Academic Team Medallion Ceremony
DALLAS, Texas -- Texas’ top community college students today were honored at the 2023 All-Texas Academic Team Medallion Ceremony, hosted by The University of Texas System and the Texas Association of Community Colleges at The University of Texas at Dallas.
The event, which featured a keynote address from Lynn Tincher-Ladner, PhD, president and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa, recognized a total of 187 students from 52 Texas community colleges for outstanding achievement.
Award winners were nominated by their respective institutions and selected by Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for students from two-year colleges. Nominees were evaluated on several criteria, including academic achievement, community service, leadership and expression.
“The All-Texas Academic Team is an excellent opportunity to recognize Texas’s top-performing community college students. While a portion of these graduating community college students will enter the workforce, the majority will transfer to four-year institutions,” said Nichole S. Prescott, PhD, UT System Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “We are keenly aware of the value of transfer students to our institutions and the health of the state of Texas. Transfer students enrich our classrooms and campuses, and we celebrate their accomplishments and bright futures.”
Two of the All-Texas scholars, Brendan Batchelder of Paris Junior College and Jordan Chapin of Northeast Texas Community College also will be recognized for their selection to the 2023 All-USA Academic Team.
The All-USA program is widely recognized as the most prestigious academic honor for students seeking an associate degree or credential. Students are selected for their intellectual rigor, academic achievement, leadership and civic growth, and for extending their educational experiences to better themselves, their colleges, and their surrounding communities. These students were nominated by their colleges for the scholarship program.
In addition to a $5,000 scholarship, Batchelder and Chapin will receive a special medallion, and their college presidents will receive a commemorative obelisk in recognition of their leadership.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and the Coca-Cola Foundation provide additional scholarships to members of the All-Texas Academic Team. Eleven students from Texas community colleges will also be recognized and will receive scholarship awards ranging from $1,000 to $2,250. Scholarship winners include:
Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholars ($1,500 scholarship award)
Skylar Fondren, Northeast Texas Community College
Grant Mahlmann, Blinn College
Shyenne New, Brazosport College
Coca-Cola Academic Team Silver Scholars ($1,250 scholarship award)
Nickolas Ellison, Coastal Bend College
Hailey Lowden, Howard College
Christie Martinez, Amarillo College
Coca-Cola Academic Team Bronze Scholars ($1,000 scholarship award)
Hendrina Bawa, Lone Star College
Jeffrey Gutierrez, Laredo College
Kyla Shook, Tyler Junior College
Coca-Cola New Century Transfer Scholar ($2,250 scholarship award)
Brendan Batchelder, Paris Junior College
Coca-Cola New Century Workforce Scholar ($1,250 scholarship award)
Rachael Deller, Howard College
About The University of Texas System
For nearly 140 years, The University of Texas System has improved the lives of Texans and people all over the world through education, research and health care. With 13 institutions that enroll more than 244,000 students collectively, the UT System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States. UT institutions produce more than 68,000 graduates annually and award more than one-third of undergraduate degrees in Texas and more than 60% of the state’s medical degrees. Collectively, UT-owned and affiliated hospitals and clinics account for more than 10 million outpatient visits and more than 2 million hospital days each year. UT institutions are among the most innovative in the world, ranking No. 1 in Texas and No. 2 in the nation for federal research expenditures. The UT System also is one of the largest employers in Texas – employing more than 116,000 faculty, health care professionals, support staff and student workers – and has an operating budget of $25.2 billion for fiscal year 2023.
News Contact Information
Paul Corliss: pcorliss@utsystem.edu • 512-499-4761 (direct)
