Twenty of the nation’s top college students have been named to the 2021 All-USA Academic Team and will each receive a $5,000 scholarship.
The All-USA program is widely recognized as the most prestigious academic honor for students seeking an associate degree or credential. Students were selected for their intellectual rigor, academic achievement, leadership, and civic growth, and for extending their educational experiences to better themselves, their colleges, and their surrounding communities. These students were nominated by their colleges for the scholarship program.
The 2021 All-USA Academic Team is sponsored by Cengage, with additional support from Phi Theta Kappa and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). In addition to the scholarship, Team members receive a special medallion, and their college presidents receive a commemorative obelisk in recognition of their leadership. The All-USA Academic Team will be officially introduced and recognized during AACC’s annual convention, to be held virtually on May 13.
“More than 80,000 community college students completed an associate degree with grade point averages that were near perfect and could have been considered for this award,” said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. “Each scholar was nominated by their college before undergoing a rigorous judging process conducted by a national panel.
“The All-USA Academic team represents the very best students from that process. We are proud of their outstanding work both in the classroom and in their communities, and we thank Cengage for recognizing these student leaders and for investing in their futures.”
The members of the 2021 All-USA Academic Team are:
Geri Bakushi
Cuyahoga Community College
Ohio
Yasmeen Berry
Henry Ford College
Michigan
Savannah Berryman
Northwest Shoals Community College
Alabama
Monica Bliss
Berkshire Community College
Massachusetts
Ferdinando Castro Gonzalez
Richland College
Texas
Bernard Harrigan
Palm Beach State College
Florida
Preston Hong
Saddleback College
California
Kerry Katz
Community College of Allegheny County
Pennsylvania
Bagul Mammedova
Jamestown Community College
New York
Yozgyul Mustafova
Harry S. Truman College
Illinois
Yasaman Nassab
Irvine Valley College
California
Mary Nguyen
Lone Star College
Texas
Bianca Isabelle Osma
Passaic County Community College
New Jersey
Jared Smith
West Virginia University at Parkersburg
West Virginia
Samiha Syed
College of DuPage
Illinois
Erin Tan
Mt. San Antonio College
California
Kari Warne
Yavapai College
Arizona
Angela White
Pima Community College
Arizona
Jacquelyn White
Johnson County Community College
Kansas
Dahyun Yoo
Bergen Community College
New Jersey
“Community college students have been most-impacted by the pandemic as many had to forgo or delay their education because of financial or other challenges,” said Fernando Bleichmar, Executive Vice President and General Manager for U.S. Higher Education at Cengage, an education technology company that provides course materials to millions of college students each year. Its industry-leading subscription for textbooks and course materials, Cengage Unlimited, has helped community college students save nearly $90 million on course materials since August 2018.
“Community colleges have a critical role in reskilling the millions of unemployed Americans and opening up opportunity for those who have the most to gain from post-secondary education,” Bleichmar said. “We’re honored to help these incredible community college students further their education by supporting the All-USA scholarship.”
Learn more about the All-USA Academic Team Scholarship Program.
About Cengage
Cengage, an education technology company serving millions of learners in 165 countries, advances the way students learn through quality, digital experiences. We serve the K-12, higher education, professional, library, English language teaching, and workforce training markets worldwide. We believe that through the power and joy of learning, students can enrich their lives and achieve their dreams — no matter their age, experience, abilities, or environment. Our industry-leading products and services make education more accessible and affordable, including Cengage Unlimited, the first-of-its-kind all-access digital subscription service. Visit us at cengage.com or find us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
About the American Association of Community Colleges
The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is the primary advocacy organization for the nation’s community colleges. The association represents more than 1,100 two-year, associate degree-granting institutions and more than 12 million students.
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 10 nations. Learn more at ptk.org.
