Four Butler Community College students receive the PTK All-State Academic Team Award

EL DORADO, Kan. – Year after year, Butler Community College students are admitted to the Kansas All-State Academic Team of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and this year is no different.

Recently, four Butler students were recognized as All-State Academic Team members in Topeka, where the 25th annual ceremony took place.

The following honorary students were awarded a medallion and scholarship, and are now considered for the All-USA National Academic Team:

• Ashleigh Casper – Eureka High School (Eureka, Kansas) 

• Guilherme De Carvalho Berbel Lozani – Sao Paulo, Brazil 

• Asha Belsan – Christian Liberty Academy School System (Wichita, Kansas) 

• Lisa Tran – Wichita East High School (Wichita, Kansas)

The honorees were served lunch with legislators, community college administrators, faculty and staff as well as parents.

Heather Morgan, executive director of the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees, opened the ceremony with recognitions of the Kansas legislature and the Phi Theta Kappa board.

This year’s ceremony took a slightly different approach, allowing three PTK honorees to speak instead of hosting an outside keynote speaker.

Priscilla Bianchini of Cowley Community College emphasized small class sizes and affordability of community colleges. She talked about the opportunities she had as an international student attending a community college.

“After attending a community college, a student will be prepared,” said Bianchini.

Nathan Goodwin of Neosho County Community College drove home the importance of connections students receive when attending a community college. Even though he grew up in a rural area, he said he was exposed to areas all over the world, including ethnicity and religion. He said community college taught him how to “communicate with a diverse population.”

“Community college has given me so much,” Goodwin said. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Courtney Tinkham of Colby Community College wrapped up the speeches by saying, “the title ‘community college’ lives up to its name.”

“At a community college, they’re willing to fight for your success,” Tinkham said.

She thinks everyone can have a home at a community college regardless of age. She also addressed her appreciation of the big support system she has by saying her community college never gave up on her by pushing her to succeed.

Tinkham ended with three words to describe community college: “connections, memories and passion.”

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, founded in 1918, is the largest honor society for two year colleges, with 1,285 college chapters in all 50 states and abroad. More than 3 million students have been inducted since the organization’s founding, with nearly 134,000 inducted annually.