May 2009 JCCC Honors Newsletter

JCCC Honors Honors Program Graduate Receives Prestigious Scholarship José Ignacio Carvajal­Regidor, Lawrence, a JCCC student who graduated May 15, is the recipient of a national Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Carvajal­Regidor was one of 30 students selected to receive the scholarship which honors excellence by supporting outstanding community college students with financial need. It allows students to transfer and complete their bachelor’s degrees at the nation’s top four­year colleges and universities. Carvajal­Regidor has been a peer tutor for two years in the JCCC Writing Center. He is a member of the Honors Program and Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of the two­year colleges. He holds a JCCC Board of Directors’ Leadership Scholarship and Honors Program Scholarship. His grade point average has consistently put him on the President’s Honor Roll. In addition to his work in the Writing Center, he is a research assistant for the American Indian Health Research and Education Alliance. Carvajal­Regidor also served as the student editor of the 2009 Mind’s Eye, JCCC’s student literary magazine. His forte is poetry. He received a standing ovation at JCCC’s multicultural festival, reading his own poem that deconstructed the stereotypes of male Latinos. He is also a member of the Kansas City Latino Writers Collective. This summer, Carvajal­Regidor will participate in the Institute on Philanthropy and Voluntary Service at Georgetown University, and he is completing an internship at the Hispanic College Fund, both in Washington, D.C. In the fall, Carvajal­Regidor plans to attend American University, Washington D.C., and pursue a career teaching Latin American history or literature while he continues his creative writing. The Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship covers unmet expenses up to the amount of $30,000. The scholarship is impressive, made even more significant by the fact that Carvajal­Regidor did not learn English until age 14, when his family moved from Costa Rica to Lawrence. In eighth grade, Carvajal­Regidor took ESL classes for about a year and became immersed in the language while living in the United States. After graduation from Lawrence High School in May 2007, he began classes at JCCC. May 2009 2009­2010 Phi Theta Kappa Officers Sherie Bowen Chapter President Timothy Landwehr Alexandria Tremble Angela Glean Megan Walkowiak Purevsuren Gantumur Woo Yeong Jeong Vice Presidents CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES! Honors Program Graduates – Spring 2009 Phi Theta Kappa Advisors NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID Johnson County Community College Ruth Randall Michele Haverkamp Patricia Decker Eve Blobaum Mailboxes for the Phi Theta Kappa officers are located in the Honors Office, COM 201, or you can leave a message at 913­469­8500, ext. 3305. Sixteen graduates of the Honors Program were honored during a ceremony on Thursday, May 14, in the Carlsen Center. This year’s graduates represent a diverse group and include students not only from the U.S., but also Kenya, Costa Rica, Iran and India. While completing requirements for a degree from JCCC, the Honors Program students took four additional Honors contracts and completed an Honors Forum course and 20 hours of community service, all while maintaining a 3.5 GPA. Their dedication and determination are evident in their awards and future plans and goals outlined below. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the first two students to graduate from the Honors Program at JCCC in 1989. Molly McGoldrick Adams and professors. Molly credits the quality of her education at JCCC , and especially the Honors Program, with broadening her perspective. ❖ Rachel Brantley Rachel has secured employment as a Registered Nurse at the Nebraska Medical Center in the Oncology/Hematology Department. She plans to pursue her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Nebraska. Rachel received the Honors Program Scholarship while at JCCC. In addition to her studies, Rachel continued on page 2 Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd. Overland Park, KS 66062 Honors Program Office ­ COM 201 Patricia Decker – pdecker5@jccc.edu Honors Program Facilitator 913­469­2512 Michele Haverkamp – mhaverka@jccc.edu Honors Administrative Assistant 913­469­8500, ext. 2434 Website: www.jccc.edu/home/depts.php/5214 Molly plans to transfer to KU to obtain a degree in Nursing. While at JCCC, she received an Honors Scholarship, the Metcalf State Bank“Keeping Options Open” Scholarship and the Sara Anne Davis Scholarship. Molly reports that her most significant experience in the Honors Program was taking the Honors Forum class, which led to her being selected to attend the Inauguration Seminar in Washington, D.C., in January 2009. Molly applied for the Honors Program because she wanted to pursue specific interests and form close relationships with other students JCCC Honors JCCC Honors Christy Ann Evers Christy describes her experience in the Honors Program this way: “I started [being] afraid of writing papers, speaking in front of peers, being judged, verbalizing opinions and researching options. Through the Honors Contracts and Honors Forum, I have been exposed to my fears and faced them head­on with ambition, drive and determination. I have conquered and succeeded in a way that has built my self­confidence to new levels. It is exhilarating and freeing to pour out your heart and soul and see the fabulous finished project. I have the utmost pride in graduating from the Honors Program.” At JCCC, Christy received the Honors Program Scholarship and the Margaret and Marion Lorimer Scholarship. Christy plans to attend KU to bridge from an RN to obtain her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. She plans to continue working at Olathe Medical Center where she will be employed as an RN. Christy is the mother of three children, ages 10, 6 and 2. ❖ Mahsa Faghan Following graduation from JCCC, Mahsa will continue her education at KU working toward a Master of Architecture degree. Mahsa was nominated for outstanding student at JCCC in 2007 and 2008, and has been nominated for Student Employee of the Year for the past three years. Mahsa received an Honors Program Scholarship and an architecture scholarship and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa. Mahsa says,“Loving math encouraged me to take the math classes to another level, but having this scholarship and the encouragement from it helped me to take a variety of classes in humanties and social sciences. I love the one­on­one part of the Honors contracts.” ❖ Morgan Lindsay Honnold While at JCCC, Morgan received an Outstanding Student Award (2008), was a member of the Model UN Outstanding Delegation (2006), and received Honors and academic scholarships. In addition, she was a JCCC Student Ambassador and worked part­ time at KU Med as a Research Technician in Preventive Medicine. Following graduation, Morgan plans to attend Forerunner School of Ministry for one year of personal enrichment and then transfer to a four­year institution to complete a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Communications. Reflecting on her Honors Program experience, Morgan says,“This program challenged me academically in many areas and gave me a sense of pride and accomplishment in belonging to it. It also exposed me to many experiences, people and understandings that I would have otherwise been without. It also encouraged me to approach and interact with all my teachers and advisors on a deeper level.” ❖ 7 Honors Program Graduates – Spring 2009, cont’d. is the mother of two boys, ages 11 and 14. In thinking about her experiences in the Honors Program, Rachel says she particularly enjoyed the Honors Forum class because it encouraged her to consider viewpoints different from her own. She also enjoyed working closely with professors and researching areas of advanced practice in nursing. ❖ José Ignacio Carvajal Regidor Ignacio plans to study this summer at the Institute for Philanthropy and Voluntary Service held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He will continue working toward a degree in Latin American Studies in the fall at American University in Washington, D.C., with a goal of becoming a university professor. While at JCCC, he received a Board of Directors Scholarship and an Honors Program Scholarship. In addition, he received Phi Theta Kappa transfer scholarships to American University and Kansas University. Ignacio joined the Honors Program in order to enhance his educational experience and states he has learned that “I have yet so much to learn.” In his spare time, Ignacio enjoys writing poetry and attending poetry readings. ❖ Elizabeth Faye Clausen The Honors Program helped Elizabeth get a closer look at her passion for Art History. She was also able to share her interest in art with a class of very enthusiastic second­graders during the service­learning component of her Honors Program. Following graduation from JCCC, Elizabeth plans to continue her education at KU and obtain a master’s degree in Secondary Education. Elizabeth volunteers for various projects in the KC area and is employed as a bank teller. ❖ Tiffany Copple Tiffany’s educational plans are to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in English and Spanish at Rockhurst University and then pursue a master’s degree in Library Science at Emporia State University. Her career goal is to become a librarian. While at JCCC, Tiffany received the Honors Program Scholarship, was named to the All Kansas Academic Team, and received an Outstanding Student Award. She has also been awarded transfer scholarships that include a Distinguished Scholar Scholarship, Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship and the Greater Kansas City Community College Scholarship. Tiffany reports that her most meaningful Honors Program experience was working as a volunteer reader with Kansas City’s Reach Out and Read initiative. Tiffany says,“I had the opportunity to model for parents how to stimulate children’s intellectual abilities through literature.” Tiffany served as president of Phi Theta Kappa during the 2008­09 academic year and works 30­40 hours per week at the Johnson County Library. 2 Phi Theta Kappa Enhancement Ceremony Reaching for the Stars JCCC’s Alpha Iota Gamma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa held an enhancement ceremony for its active members on Friday, May 1, 2009. Volunteering for over 25 different events, these members were honored for their efforts in community service, fund­raising, fellowship and other chapter activities. In order to attain enhanced status, members earn participation points, gaining one star level for each 100 points received. Outgoing Phi Theta Kappa president Tiffany Copple welcomed guests and, along with other outgoing officers, presented awards to members attaining enhanced levels of achievement. Special guests for the evening were Bob and Jonathan Pinker. Jonathan Pinker presented the Jana E. Pinker Memorial Foundation Transfer Scholarship to Tiffany Copple, an Honors Program graduate and 2008­09 Alpha Iota Gamma president, who will be attending Rockhurst this fall. The Pinker family established the scholarship in honor of their daughter, who was an active member of Phi Theta Kappa. Alpha Iota Gamma chapter officers for 2009­2010 were installed during the ceremony. The new officers are Sherie Bowen, Timothy Landwehr, Woo Yeong Jeong, Alexandria Tremble, Purevsuren Gantumur, Megan Walkowiak and Angela Glean. Chapter advisors look forward to working with the new officers next year and bid a fond farewell to the 2008­2009 officers. Members receiving recognition were: Star Level 1 Shari Conklin Denise Fernandes Lisa Fisher Purevsuren Gantumur Amanda Geldhof Julie Gibson Caitlin Higgins Patricia Ngige Star Level II Dina Albadawi Helen Bruns Thomas Radocy Star Level III Angela Glean Tina Redlinger Diane Rendulic Erin Willard Star Level IV Minh Le Star Level V and Above Megan Walkowiak Hossein Sattarin Sherie Bowen Jennifer Stottlemire Chaunn Nielsen Laura Lafferty Tiffany Copple JCCC Honors JCCC Honors Dorcas Chebet Kimwarey Caitlin Schwanke As she graduates from JCCC, Caitlin is also attending Baker University in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. Her career goal is to teach English and Theatre. A recipient of the Honors Program Scholarship, Caitlin took part in a service­learning experience at the Olathe Family Resource Center and describes the experience. “I was able to give these students one­ on­one help with their schoolwork, as well as just being an adult figure they could talk to about how their day was and what they were doing after school and such. This is such a simple need to address – I took a couple of hours out of my week to make a difference in these children’s education.” ❖ Sarbjit Singh Sarbjit is graduating with an associate’s degree in Administration of Justice and plans to transfer to Park University. His career goal is to become a police officer. Sarbjit is the recipient of an Honors Program Scholarship. ❖ Mackenzie Evan Smith Mackenzie plans to return to the Middle East this summer to continue her studies in Arabic. While at JCCC, she has worked as a tutor in the Writing Center and received numerous scholarships, including a Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, JCCC International Studies Scholarship, JCCC Board of Directors’ Leadership Scholarship, Benjamin A. Gilman International Studies Scholarship and the Logan Scholarship. In the fall, Mackenzie plans to continue her studies and major in English with a minor in Arabic. After completing her undergraduate degree, Mackenzie would like to serve in the Peace Corps in the Middle East or North Africa, and then work as an interpreter for a nonprofit organization while pursuing a career as a travel writer. ❖ Elaheh Zare Mohazab Elaheh describes her most significant Honors Program experience as her service­learning project with the LeAnn Britain Infant Development Center. A challenging experience, it changed her views toward people with disabilities. While a student at JCCC, Elaheh was named to the All Kansas Academic Team, received the Honors Program Scholarship, and was selected to attend the Inauguration Seminar Series in Washington, D.C., in January 2009. In addition, she received a Distinguished Member Award from Phi Theta Kappa and was involved in numerous campus activities such as Invisible Children and Student Senate. Elaheh plans to transfer to KU this fall, major in Biology (Pre­Med) and attend medical school. ❖❖❖ 3 Honors Students Selected to Present at National Collegiate Honors Council Lauren Alexander and Jessica Garden have been selected to present their research during a poster session at the National Collegiate Honors Council in Washington, D.C., on October 30. Both students completed their research projects to fulfill requirements of an Honors contract. Lauren’s project, titled “Exceptional Literature for Exceptional Children,” is an annotated bibliography of children's literature, which specifically targets environmentally or biologically "at risk" students, ages birth­12. The study offers information about literature to assist educators and families with developmental, behavioral, physical or otherwise pervasive disabilities or disorders. She completed her research as an Honors contract associated with ENGL 232 Children’s Literature. Her mentor for the project was Marilyn Senter. Lauren is pursuing an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and plans to graduate in December. Jessica is a member of the Honors Program and was recently admitted into the Nursing Program at JCCC. Her project is titled “The Impact of Folic Acid on the Human Genome.” Her interdisciplinary meta­analytic research identified several major single nucleotide polymorphisms in folic acid genes involved in the prevention and promotion of a vast array of diseases and disorders. Jessica’s project mentor was Dr. Stan Svojanovsky. She completed her project as a contract associated with CHEM 122 Principles of Chemistry. Congratulations, Lauren and Jessica! Dorcas plans to continue her studies at JCCC in Nursing and eventually bridge to a four­year college. Dorcas has been the recipient of a Dining Services Scholarship. Her most significant Honors Program experience was her service­learning experience at Johnson County Developmental Supports, where she was amazed by the talents of the employees with whom she worked. Dorcas credits the Honors Program with helping her learn to do research and develop leadership skills. ❖ Brandon McCune Besides his studies at JCCC, Brandon spends time with his 12­year­ old son and his fiancée. Together they enjoy camping, hiking, cycling and fishing. He also owns Atlas Studios, which provides live sound and recording services. While at JCCC, Brandon received an Honors Program Scholarship and has been on the President’s or Dean’s List each semester. Brandon describes the Honors Program as a“wonderful and enriching experience.” He plans to attend Pharmacy school at KU, obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and eventually open an independent pharmacy. ❖ Tara Lynn Newberry Tara is another recipient of the Honors Program Scholarship and has consistently been on the Dean’s List. She describes her most significant experience in Honors as learning Homeric Greek and states that the program“taught me discipline, responsibility, and gave me the opportunity to do extra, interesting work. It is for above­average achievers and I wanted to be a part of that.” Following her graduation from JCCC, Tara will attend Avila University where she will continue her work in Honors with a major in Biology (Pre­Med) and minor in Chemistry. Her career goal is to become a doctor. ❖ Hossein (Arash) Sattarin Arash’s future plans are to attend KU and major in Biochemistry. His career goal is to become a medical doctor, perhaps with a specialty in Cardiology or Neurology. While at JCCC, Arash received the Honors Program Scholarship, the Jana E. Pinker Memorial Scholarship, the Winifred R. Fulk Memorial Scholarship and a Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship. Graduating with both academic and civic honors, Arash has volunteered in the emergency room at Shawnee Mission Medical Center and helped with the Health of American Indian study at KU. Arash has also participated in many Phi Theta Kappa events and, in addition, worked in the Student Activities office at JCCC. Arash says he has gained profound understanding of his Honors contract topics which has“literally shaped the fundamental criteria of my life.” JCCC: Greener Campus Ahead by Maggie Curry­Chiu, Mackenzie Evan Smith and José Ignacio Carvajal­Regidor Participating in Johnson County Community College’s Honors Program is a rewarding experience, an important component of which is contributing to the Honors Forum class. Each semester this class studies an issue affecting our community and then implements changes put forth by members of the class. Previous semesters have focused on topics as diverse as national politics, literacy and poverty. During the Spring 2009 semester, the focus was environmental sustainability on campus. The first few weeks of the semester involved diligent research on the part of class members. The findings and ensuing discussions fueled students’ desire to enhance sustainable ideologies and practices on campus. Some of the ideas to reduce JCCC’s carbon footprint included campaigning to achieve a more energy­efficient use of the campus computers and televisions, eliminating plastic bottles from campus vending machines, installing a rain garden and increasing recycling efforts. The class collected student, alumni and faculty support for two petitions. The goal of the first petition was to implement a student Green Fee. Without overly burdening the student body or school budget, the Green Fee would raise approximately $300,000 per year to fund sustainable measures on campus. The goal of the second petition was to remove plastic beverage bottles from campus and replace them with aluminum containers. While some of the plastic bottles are indeed recycled, recycling plastic is inferior to recycling aluminum. The Honors Program continues to enhance education for JCCC students, not only in theoretical approaches, but also in a manner that provides them with the opportunity to become catalysts in our society. It is undeniable that fundamental change is necessary to meet current environmental struggles. Through the implementation of the measures mentioned above, the Honors Forum class hoped to address pressing issues on campus. Because of the transient nature of JCCC’s student body, the steps taken will affect thousands of people who will become active in our institution in the future. Many individuals involved in the Honors Forum class, with the experience and knowledge this project provided, will continue to fuel changes in our society. 6 JCCC Honors JCCC Honors Phi Theta Kappa Spring 2009 Inductees A total of 189 new members were inducted into the Alpha Iota Gamma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Johnson County Community College on Sunday, March 22, 2009. Chapter president Tiffany Copple welcomed guests and introduced the guest speaker, Dr. Patricia Long, president of Baker University. Names of new members are listed below. Adam Adler Hyang Mi Ahn Emily Anderson Vanessa Badillo Blake Baird Malashree Banavadikar Jacob Barnes Jessica Baumgarten Crista Bechard Hillary Berry Tessa Bloomingdale Amy Bogart Sarah Borkowski Christen Bowman Rebecca Boylan Daniel Brennan John Broughton Sarah Brower Phillip Burggraf Rebecca Burgin Frances Burton Molly Campbell Ashley Cannon Rachel Carter Susannah Carter Jose Carvajal Regidor Jose Chacon­Diaz Yuk Ting Chan Tiffany Christoffersen Laura Cobb Michelle Cole Heather Collins Shari Conklin Eisley Constantine Allison Cordon Theseus Crabb Jonathan Crank Elizabeth Craven Sarah Crowther Sean Cummings Joshua Davis Mary Ellen Davis Courtney Demarest Nardos Desta Kaley DeVries Kaley Donelan Christopher Ekvall Mette Esbensen 4 Phi Theta Kappa Members Attend International Convention in Grapevine, Texas Early on the morning of April needed in the future. He also 16, eight sleepy Phi Theta Kappa addressed the impact of energy members boarded a plane for and politics on our current Dallas to attend the 91st economic situation. An International Phi Theta Kappa informative and engaging Convention. After getting speaker, a follow­up educational settled into accommodations at forum provided students an the Gaylord Texan, students opportunity to discuss themes of headed out to explore the resort. Dr. Zakaria’s presentation in An enclosed courtyard housed more depth. several restaurants, a stream, flowers and miniature railroads. The Phi Theta Kappa The convention kicked off with a International Convention rousing general session provided something for everyone. JCCC Phi Theta Kappa members dressed in formal attire illustrating the level of energy of Tiffany Copple, 2008­09 for the gala ceremony are (L to R) Laura Lafferty, Minh Le, Phi Theta Kappans and a president of Phi Theta Kappa, Arash Sattarin, Advisor Pat Decker, Tiffany Copple, Denise competition to see which state attended an educational forum, Fernandes, Chaunn Nielsen and Jennifer Stottlemire. could make the most noise. “Chartering and Growing Your International officer candidates Alumni Association.” Tiffany made short speeches during the session, and Dr. Rod Risley, says,“This forum gave me all the information that I need to begin Executive Director of Phi Theta Kappa, was awarded a an alumni chapter.” She further relates,“I was able to form a Distinguished Alumnus Award. Arash Sattarin, an attendee from stronger bond with my own chapter as well as meet other Phi Theta JCCC, says“Risley gave a thanks speech, but he had a lot of points Kappa members from around the world.” that would be useful for students. He said that knowledge that is not shared is wasted. He said we students should learn to serve and Denise Fernandes states,“As a regional officer, I needed training lead; we shouldn’t be afraid of taking risks; we should be ready to for my post and I did gain good training at this conference. work with people smarter than us…and we should always be Thanks to this trip, I now have a strong foundation of this honors willing to learn.” society on an international basis.” Denise sums up the group experience of the convention when she says,“The main thing about Two keynote speakers provided exceptional presentations that this conference was that it was very educational, interesting and proved to be enlightening and inspirational for JCCC attendees. exciting. I gained educational knowledge from the strong speakers. Robert F Kennedy, attorney and environmental activist, spoke on . I had a sense of pride when I saw so many students receiving the “Our Environmental Destiny.” Obviously well informed on a Hallmark awards: made me feel proud to be part of such an myriad of environmental challenges facing us, Mr. Kennedy offered outstanding society.” thoughts and ideas about possible solutions and challenged the audience to become involved. Arash Sattarin states,“We students need to research the practicability of the solutions.” Chaunn Nielsen attended an educational forum following the presentation and enjoyed the ideas presented to better the environment. One suggestion was to“educate children by letting them get dirty and experience nature the way it is.” A second highlight of the convention was the keynote address by Dr. Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International and CNN host. Dr. Zakaria’s presentation was titled“Globalization: A New World.” Dr. Zakaria believes America has a bright future but we need to educate ourselves and prepare for professions that will be 5 Mackenzie Evans Tracy Ewy Shannon Farage Amber Fedor Denise Fernandes Amber Fey Lisa Fisher Michael Forsyth Lindsay Foster Johnny Fritchey Purevsuren Gantumur Josephine Garcia William Gaulding Julie Gibson Charlotte Gilman Brandon Gresham Nathan Grosch Jacquelyn Haines Bryan Hall Robert Harden Kelley Hartman Donnie Hicks Caitlin Higgins Connor Higgins Amber Hilt Karinne Hilton Elizabeth Hoch Sally Hohensee Christina Hopkinson Hasti Horri Marta Howell Jessica Huayaban Hillary Janner Christopher Jerred Kelly Johnson Marlene Johnson Robert Kahn Jedida Kamau Justin Kanatzar Catherine Kanyago Kayla Kennedy Emily Kenney Michael King Sarah Kleinsorge Ann Kovar Molly Krokstrom Jacquelyn Kusek Timothy Landwehr Sheila Lansford Cara Larson Jacey Lashier Kelli Lawson Kokovi Lawson Sarah Lee John Linsky Jennie Lopez Brandon Lord Deborah Luckett Rebecca Lyles Amanda Mackey Karl Magnuson Tara Mahoney Tamara Mallalah Victoria Marrs Trisha Mausbach Joanna Mazurek Kelsey McConnell Kelsey McCullough Mary McWhirter Jana Meister Annie Metcalf Jeffrey Middlesworth April Mitchell Luz Montano Elisabeth Mooney Patrick Moore Irene Muchori Hope Neppel Patricia Ngige Crystal Nuss Solomon Nzioki Candice O'Malley Ashley O'Rand Erik Osmera Noah Ottinger Bradley Outler Roger Overcast Ugur Parlak Marissa Pelot Nicole Penner Amy Pepper Jennifer Pointelin Mike Portsche Mitchell Provenzo Michelle Ralph Sarah Reaves Sarah Rees Kendall Reese Chad Rhoades Jayme Richardson Matthew Ross Dustin Sallaz Jonathan Samskey Mark Santoro Craig Sattler Allison Scheets Kevin Schwarz David Scott Elizabeth Seaman Amanda Sellers Brad Shepherd Amie Sherrell Pamela Sherrell Margo Shoopman Brooke Sisson IdaBeth Slavin Alison Smith Haley Smith Marilyn Smith Wendell Smith Megan Sneed Cody Snodgrass Anna Springer Jesus Suarez Inna Sukhinina Sherri Sutfin Tsehay Tesema Alexandria Tremble Jeffrey Trowbridge Elijah Truitt Jamie VanHouten Carrie Vining Naifun Waewson Laura Waltrip Breana Watts Donna Westhoff Kelli Whitesell Jay Wilkerson William Willman Azia Wolfe Dana Yang