LCCC Students Named 2015-2016 All-Pennsylvania Academic Team Members

Two Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) students, Trisha Bankowski of Germansville, Pa. and Samantha Eden of Slatington, Pa., have been named members of the 2015-2016 All- Pennsylvania Academic Team, which is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa (the international honor society for two-year colleges), the Coca Cola Corporation, the State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges (PACCC). They will be recognized at the Annual PACC meeting on April 4.

Trisha Bankowski is a General Studies major at LCCC, planning to continue her education at East Stroudsburg University this fall and majoring in Public Health. She plans on joining the Peace Corps. Bankowski is a member of Phi Theta Kappa. In addition to her studies she is a customer service representative at Wells Fargo Bank and volunteers at The Sanctuary at Haafsville, a no kill animal shelter in Fogelsville.

Samantha Eden majors in Psychology at LCCC and plans to continue her education at West Chester University this fall. She is a member of LCCC’s Student Government Association; serving as the Programming Chair in Fall of 2015 and is serving as the Vice President for Spring 2016. Eden is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and Psi Beta, the national honor society in psychology for junior and community colleges. She also has worked as a peer mentor and student worker at the Wellness Center during her time at LCCC.

Selection is competitive and students must have completed at least 36 credits at a community college and earned a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. Community college presidents or their designated nominators may submit no more than two nominations per campus for this award. An independent panel of judges considers outstanding academic rigor, grade point average, academic and leadership awards, and engagement in college and community service in the selection process.

Each member of the All- Pennsylvania Academic Team receives a full two-year scholarship to any of the universities in the PASSHE and competes at the national level for scholarships from the All-USA Academic Team and the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team.