Academic team lauded by college board chief Two-year schools’ students named to state squad

BANGOR – Joanna Jones, chairman of the Maine Community College System’s board of trustees, praised the accomplishments of 12 community college students who were named to the All-Maine Academic Team at a recent ceremony in Augusta.

The team, which recognizes the academic achievements of two-year college students, is sponsored in part by Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year colleges.

The students selected for the team are: Stephanie Kennedy, Greenbush; Shawn Evans, Bangor; Shawn Burns, Lisbon; Travers LeClair, Auburn; Andrea Watkins, Windsor; Thomas Mauritzen, Skowhegan; Megan Beals, Houlton; Rocco Tripaldi, Portland; Carrie Pulsifer, Portland; Danica Thornton-Pray, Topsfield; Desiree Smith, Eastport; and Stephen Theriault, Sanford. Tripaldi also was named Maine’s 2005 New Century Scholar as the student who received the highest II-USA Academic Team application score in the state.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to share with the state the talent and academic quality of our community college students. These 12 students, through their hard work and commitment to excellence represent the best of the best students,” said Jones.

At the ceremony, each of the students received a $500 scholarship made possible by a grant from KeyBank of Maine. Kathryn Underwood, president of KeyBank of Maine; Jane Lincoln, chief of staff to Gov. John Baldacci, and MCCS president John Fitzsimmons gave remarks recognizing the students’ achievements.

The All-Maine Academic Team program is cosponsored by KeyBank of Maine, Bangor Daily News, Creative Awards of Scarborough, and the Maine Community College System.

Students selected from Eastern Maine Community College were:

. Stephanie Kennedy of Greenbush is an early childhood education major. She has been vice president of Phi Theta Kappa, member of the EMCC women’s basketball team, child care center tour guide, high school basketball program volunteer, and a member of the 2004 Maine Small College Conference All-Academic Team. She is a dean’s list student and a recipient of the 2004 Katherine Fisher Scholarship and the 2004 Johnson Outdoors Sons & Daughters Scholarship.

. Shawn Evans of Bangor is a welding and pipe fabrication major. He has been Student Senate president, Senior Council member, Phi Theta Kappa member, EMCC student representative, WCCC Polar Dip participant, Governor’s Summit on Youth Migration participant, and nominee for EMCC Student of the Year 2004. He received the 2004 Deans’ Golden Eagle Award and the 2004 Excellence in Technology Award in Welding, and was student nominee for the MCCS board of trustees. He also was a speaker at the Annual Legislative and Business Leaders Reception.