Parkland College sophomore Emily Strutner of Farmer City has been named a Silver Scholar in the 2012 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Program, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.
Administered by Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for the two-year college, the academic program recognizes 50 Gold, 50 Silver, and 50 Bronze Scholars by providing nearly $187,500 in scholarships annually. As a Silver Scholar, Strutner will receive a $1,250 scholarship and a special medallion; will be recognized as a member of the program's All-Illinois Academic Team during ceremonies in April; and will be listed along with other Coca-Cola scholars in the April 23rd issue of USA TODAY newspaper.
Strutner's selection was based on scores earned in the All-USA Community College Academic Team Competition, for which more than 1,700 applications were received this year. An independent panel of judges considered outstanding academic rigor, grade point average, academic and leadership awards, and engagement in college and community service in the selection process.
A Business Administration major who will be graduating from Parkland in May, Strutner plans to transfer to the University of Illinois in the fall to pursue a bachelor's degree in finance. She has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA and has been named to Parkland's dean's list each semester. She is president of Parkland's Business Club and is serving her second term as vice president of communications for Parkland's Alpha Psi Eta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa.
Phi Theta Kappa Executive Director Dr. Rod Risley said Coca-Cola scholarships are "especially welcome during this challenging economic climate, as more and more community college students need additional resources to help them complete their degrees. We thank the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for their vote of confidence in community college students by investing in their futures."
"The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges," said J. Mark Davis, president of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. "We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa and make it possible for deserving students to achieve their educational goals."
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 1,280 chapters on two-year and community college campuses in all 50 of the United States, Canada, Germany, Peru, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands, the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. More than 2.5 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 135,000 students inducted annually.