Two AWC nominees advance in academic competition

Two students from Arizona Western College who advanced in the nomination process for USA Today's All-USA Community College Academic Team received recognition from school administration Thursday.

AWC President Don Schoening congratulated sophomore Lam Trinh, 19, a math-physics-general studies major at his office for progressing in the nomination process that now guarantees for Trinh a full-tuition scholarship (approximately $10,000 a year) at one of the three state universities, University of Arizona, Arizona State or Northern Arizona University.

Jennifer Gilbert, 24, a secondary education major and Phoenix resident, and the other AWC nominee was unable to attend the brief ceremony in Schoening's office. Gilbert has already made plans to transfer to Arizona State University.

Scholars from 36 states competed with between 50 to 60 students in Arizona who now proceed to the next phase of the nomination at a luncheon at Mesa Community College on Feb. 19. Scholars are scored once again by the Phi Theta Kappa honors society and ranked on three teams from which the top scholar in the state will be chosen.

The All-USA Community College Academic Team is co-sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation that anticipates honoring nearly 400 students with almost $500,000 in stipends during 2009.

At the American Association of Community Colleges Convention April 4-6 in Phoenix, the top 20 scholars will be selected for the All-USA team and their names and photographs will be published in USA Today later that month, according to Eva Olvera, 20, NAU-Yuma junior and last year's nominee.

Schoening said that in the 12 years he has been at AWC there have been three nominees named to the All-USA team and that never happened at any of the previous college administrations where he served.

"It's really about academics and it reflects on the faculty and the winner's commitment to the college and the community, and that's the real measure of success," Schoening said. "It's all about a combination of academic and civic service achievement."

Trinh, who has maintained a 4.0 GPA for all semesters, will graduate from AWC with associate degrees in all three of his majors next May. Trinh has applied to ASU and UA where, if accepted, he plans on focusing on computer science and economics.

It was a friend who alerted him to the scholarship opportunity last year which he followed through with an application this year, he noted. Although the All-USA team scholarship requires him to attend a state school, Trinh's first choice would be MIT or Stanford University where he recently applied for acceptance along with financial aid.

Trihn noted that he owes his success in part to family and friends but especially to AWC faculty Ken Kuntzelman and Martha Martinez.

"I was really honored," Trinh said. "It was a once-in-lifetime opportunity to prove myself and I'm thankful to all the people who helped me in my academic and personal life. It's a great boost to achieve a future career goal."

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William Roller can be reached at wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.