By: Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director
Each year, the international honor society of community colleges, Phi Theta Kappa, selects leading community college students across the state to be part of an All-Texas Academic Team. This group, in turn, receives special consideration for possible entry into an All USA Academic Team. This year, Aaliyah Avellaneda, and John Rodriguez, two Presidential Scholars, and members of NTCC’s award-winning chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Mu Chi, received this honor from NTCC.
Both will be featured in a Virtual Medallion Ceremony on 1 April, that will facilitate contacts with university recruiters throughout the state.
NTCC Honors Director, Dr. Andrew Yox notes: “Avellaneda and Rodriguez have not only accomplished notable feats in terms of awards and intervarsity competition. They are luminaries that have inspirited academic life here, Aaliyah more particularly in the world of classroom erudition, and Rodriguez, more particularly in terms of student organization, and group achievement. Both have received special scholarships from our donors. Avellaneda is currently our Dr. Jerry Wesson Scholar, and Rodriguez, our Texas Heritage National Bank Scholar. Both have been at the forefront of a very successful honorary cohort. Both, thanks to the meticulous judging of our honors committee, are fittingly NTCC’s Boe nominees, representing the two best research essays completed at our college in 2021 at the upcoming meeting of the Great Plains Honors Council in March.”
Aaliyah is the daughter of Blanca and Francisco Avellaneda. John is the son of Juan and Loruama Rodriguez. Both families reside in Mount Pleasant.
