Eight Ozarks Technical Community College students were honored for their academic success and student leadership at the Missouri Community College Association’s Phi Theta Kappa and Student Leadership Virtual Celebration, held April 21.
Student Leadership Award
At the virtual event, three OTC students received MCCA Student Leadership Awards. The awards are presented annually to an outstanding student leader from each of Missouri’s community college campuses. Criteria for selection include:
- The student must be enrolled in good standing at a Missouri community college;
- The student must have a 2.5 GPA or higher; and
- The student must have exhibited outstanding leadership qualities through contributions to the college during the previous academic year.
OTC’s Student Leadership Award recipients are as follows:
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- Jaden Collins, OTC Springfield Campus
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- Reagan Shelby, OTC Richwood Valley Campus
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- Lindsay Williamson, OTC Table Rock Campus
All-Missouri Academic Team
Additionally, five OTC students were named to the All-Missouri Academic Team. Each year, the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society sponsors the Academic All-USA competition for students attending two-year colleges.
PTK ranks applicants nationally and sends the results to the Missouri Community College Association. The top 40 students statewide are then named Academic All-State award winners, with 10 first team, 10 second team, and 20 third team winners.
OTC’s All-Missouri Academic Team members are as follows:
All-Missouri First Team
Shannon McKaig-Buffington, OTC Springfield Campus
All-Missouri Second Team
Giovanni Sanchez, OTC Springfield Campus
All-Missouri Third Team
Teri Nelms, OTC Richwood Valley Campus
David Carder, OTC Springfield Campus
Rose Forster, OTC Springfield Campus
New Century Workforce Scholar
In addition to being selected for the All-Missouri First Team, OTC’s Shannon McKaig-Buffington was awarded the 2021 New Century Workforce Scholarship.
The $1,250 scholarship is the first of its kind to support students at associate degree-granting institutions as they prepare to complete their degree or certificate and enter the workforce. The program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
New Century Workforce Scholars are selected based on their academic accomplishments, leadership activities and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. Over 2,000 students were nominated from more than 1,200 college campuses across the country. Only one New Century Workforce Scholar was selected from each state.
Shannon and her fellow New Century Workforce Scholars will be formally recognized in the fall.