News
Serhienko chosen as New Century Scholar
Scott Wagar
04/09/2013
Jackson, Miss. – Fifty community college students from the United States, Canada and the Federated States of Micronesia have been named 2013 New Century Scholars – receiving a total of $100,000 in scholarships. The New Century Scholars Program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa and the American Association of Community Colleges.
The New Century Scholars program and All-USA Community College Academic Team, which is sponsored by Follett Higher Education Group and presented by USA TODAY and Phi Theta Kappa, share a common application and together recognize outstanding community college students. More than 1,800 students were nominated from more than 800 community colleges for recognition.
Judges consider grades, leadership, activities and most importantly, how students extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom.
New Century Scholars are the highest scoring students in each state, plus one student from Canada and one additional student chosen from among one of the remaining seven sovereign nations where Phi Theta Kappa is represented internationally. Each scholar will receive a $2,000 scholarship and plaque and be presented at the American Association of College Presidents (AACC) Convention in San Francisco.
“We appreciate the support of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and The Coca-Cola Foundation to recognize the outstanding academic achievement and leadership accomplishments of these outstanding community college students,” said Phi Theta Kappa’s Executive Director, Dr. Rod Risley. “These scholarships provided by organizations like Coca-Cola make the goal of college completion possible – especially during these challenging economic times.”
For 2013, the New Century Scholar chosen from the five community colleges in the state’s university system is Seth Serhienko. Serhienko is a sophomore at Dakota College at Bottineau majoring in accounting. His advisor, Steve Sathre, will accompany Serhienko to San Francisco where he will be recognized.
This is the fourth time in six years that a DCB student has been chosen for this prestigious honor. Past recipients are Derek Behrman, Samantha Fenner and Jacob Bean.
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 1,285 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.