Four MCC students honored at All-Arizona Academic luncheon
Iliana Deanda
On Feb. 18, a luncheon was held in the Kiva Room in the Kirk Student Center to honor four MCC students for making the All-Arizona Academic Team. Robert LeDesma, Devin Hon, Alex Ward and Stephanie Nyman all received awards for their hard work that landed them on the team.
All four students are active members of Phi Theta Kappa and have been involved with MCC as well as the community.
Representing the state of Arizona is an accomplishment that makes Nyman proud.
” The best part has been the process of getting to this point. I have overcome many challenges. To be named in the top 60 students in the state of Arizona for one is just like oh my god,” Nyman said.
” Embracing the college and its needs, as well as our community’s needs, has been great. To have the state of Arizona recognize you as an academic scholar is amazing, it’s breathtaking,” Nyman said.
With the help of Duane Oaks, Ward was motivated to turn in his application.
“Duane Oaks had mentioned a scholarship and he had pushed a little before because the scholarship is so prestigious yet it isn’t very visible to the public here at MCC,” Ward said. “So he pulled me aside and told me that I should go after it. With his help I was able to turn the application in and apparently it worked out for me.”
Alex started out as just an average high school student.
“To me this is the pinnacle of my accomplishment. I came out here from New York almost two years ago with nothing to my name,” Ward said. “I turned from being an average student in a high school, to being a very accomplished MCC student.