Reading Area Community College student, and Phi Theta Kappa Vice President, Valerie Mackey, has been selected as a 2020 Phi Theta Kappa Guistwhite Scholar and will receive a $5,000 scholarship. Guistwhite Scholars are chosen based on academic achievement, leadership accomplishment, and engagement in Phi Theta Kappa programs. Fifteen Guistwhite recipients were selected by a panel of independent judges from more than 3,400 applicants this year.

Each Guistwhite Scholar is awarded a medallion and a $5,000 scholarship for their baccalaureate studies. Your student has received an email with details of the award. An accompanying press release is attached to be shared with your college’s public relations department. Winners were selected from among 3,400 applicants nationwide, and their selection was based on academic excellence, leadership accomplishments, and engagement in Phi Theta Kappa programs. They will also receive a commemorative medallion.

This is the second-highest scholarship offered by Phi Theta Kappa. It is named in honor of the late Margaret and Dr. Jack Guistwhite, who established the first transfer scholarship designated exclusively for Phi Theta Kappa members to Florida Atlantic University in 1975.

“What Dr. Guistwhite started 45 years ago has become a transformational force in the lives of PTK members and has resulted in more than 800 colleges and universities designating transfer scholarship for our students,” said Phi Theta Kappa’s President and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner. “It is fitting that we continue to honor our students who excel in scholarship and leadership as Guistwhite Scholars in celebration of Jack and Margaret.”

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more.

Reading, PA- Alpha Sigma Rho, Reading Area Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Chapter, joined the PTK Middle States Regional Convention virtually on March 28. The Hallmark Awards, one of the major programs of PTK International, engages members to participate in activities which support the Society’s Hallmarks of Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Fellowship. Chapters submit reports on their work in several areas. These submissions are judged competitively and individuals, chapters and regions are recognized for their excellence in support of these hallmarks. Awards are given on both a regional and international level. The Middle States Region includes eighty chapters from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C.

During the annual PTK Middle States Regional Convention, the chapter received several significant awards:

• Five Star Chapter
• REACH Chapter
• MSRGold Chapter
• Distinguished Chapter - #2 in the Region
• College Project - #5 in the Region
• Honors in Action - #1 in the Region
• Honors in Action - Highest in the Theme "Economies of Everything"

In addition to these chapter-based awards, the following individuals received awards:

• Distinguished Chapter Member - Emma Wright
• Hall of Honor - Carol Tapia and Aaron Valentine
• MSR Superhero - Valerie Mackey

To learn more about developing leadership potential through participation in Phi Theta Kappa programs at RACC, contact Danelle Bower.

Reading, PA - February 10, 2020 – Afaf Maslah a student at Reading Area Community College, has been named a 2020 New Century Workforce Scholar and will receive a $1,250 scholarship.

This scholarship is the first of its kind to support students at associate degree-granting institutions on a national scale as they plan to enter the workforce upon the completion of a degree or certificate. The program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

“We believe education holds an extraordinary promise to change lives,” said Helen Smith Price, President, The Coca-Cola Foundation. “We hope that providing these college scholarships to deserving students will enable them to realize their full and unique potential.”

New Century Workforce Scholars are selected based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, activities, and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. Over 2,200 students were nominated from more than 1,200 college campuses across the country. Only one New Century Workforce Scholar was selected from each state.

“We congratulate Afaf Maslah for receiving this prestigious scholarship, and we are honored to partner with The Coca-Cola Foundation to recognize her outstanding achievements,” said Phi Theta Kappa’s President and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner. “Scholarship programs like this are integral for creating opportunities for students to succeed as they prepare to enter the workforce and for putting college completion within reach.”

The New Century Workforce Scholars will be recognized during the Association of Community College Trustees’ (ACCT) Congress in Chicago, Illinois, in October.

About The Coca-Cola Foundation

The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. Since its inception in 1984, the Foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to support sustainable community initiatives around the world. For more information, please visit The Coca-Cola Foundation.

About Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more

Please visit our Online Learning page to answer any questions you may have about the transition to online classes.

Reading, Pa. (March 5, 2020) – Reading Area Community College’s college success strategies course is a general education requirement across all degree programs. Data indicated this course was a barrier for some students, and RACC faculty began to work on a solution to help those students. Through a renewed focus and complete overhaul, faculty increased student success rates by 20 percent over a two-year period for a course success rate of 81 percent.

The two RACC staff members winning the award for leading this turnaround are RACC Foundational Studies Associate Professors Denise Strohmayr and Teri Floyd-Brumm. The redesign of the program, titled College Success Strategies: From Barrier to Gateway, included a redesign of the entire college success strategies program, defining new, streamlined program competencies and objectives and developing the skills essential to good career and/or life decision making.

A recent graduate of the program says, “The things I learned in this program have been tremendous in helping me to better remember lectures, understand text and organize my train of thought. I have practiced active listening in personal situations as well. All of this has reduced my stress level and the results have been extremely positive in my life.”

 “We have been receiving such amazing feedback from the students coming out of the redesigned program,” says Reading Area Community College President Dr. Susan Looney. “Students are seeing immediate benefits both academically and personally. From practicing active listening and applying note taking strategies to improving reading comprehension using SQ3R. Denise and Teri have done a phenomenal job with this program and are well-deserving of this national recognition.”

Strohmayr and Floyd-Brumm received the award during the 2020 Innovations Conference held March 1-4, at the Hyatt Regency Seattle in Seattle, Washington.

About the League for Innovation in the Community College. The League for Innovation in the Community College (League) is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment. The League hosts conferences and institutes, develops print and digital resources, and leads projects and initiatives with almost 500 member colleges, strategic partners, and a host of other government and nonprofit agencies in a continuing effort to advance the community college field and make a positive difference for students and communities.

Caption. RACC award winners from left: Denise Strohmayr, associate professor, Cynthia Seaman, senior vice president of academic affairs/provost, and associate professor Teri Floyd-Brumm.