The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, with the generous support of METI and L-3 Communications, Inc., have announced the first 25 recipients of the Frank Lanza Memorial Scholarship Program. The scholarships recognize the accomplishments of students enrolled in allied health programs offered by regionally accredited community colleges. Twenty-five students received scholarships of $1,000 each.
The scholarships target part-time, full-time and international students who have completed 50% of their course work leading toward achieving an associate degree and who demonstrated financial need. Candidates did not have to be members of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society to apply. A panel of independent judges selected the recipients by application based on academic and leadership accomplishments as well as community service.
Most of the 2010 award recipients are enrolled in registered nursing programs. Three recipients are studying respiratory care. On December 4, 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the healthcare sector of the economy is continuing to grow, despite significant job losses in nearly all major industries. Hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other ambulatory care settings added 21,000 new jobs in November 2009, a month when 85,000 jobs were eliminated across the country. Community colleges educate 63 percent of allied health professionals.
The recipients of the 2010 Frank Lanza Memorial Scholarships are (* notes membership in Phi Theta Kappa):
*Amber Onyan, Arizona Western College, Arizona
*Reuben Payte, National Park Community College, Arkansas
*Lamanda Boyd, University of Arkansas Community College at Hope, Arkansas
Pelaghia Rosca, American River College, California
*Janie Rigsby, Mount San Jacinto College, California
*April McGrath, Gateway Community College, Connecticut
*Stephanie Crickmore, Goodwin College, Connecticut
*Joy Jackson, Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana
*Patricia Kulm, Vincennes University, Indiana
*Adam Lindstrom, Harry S Truman College, Illinois
*Stacy Dillard, Sauk Valley Community College, Illinois
*Magdalene Tanyi Epse Ayuk, Wayne County Community College, Michigan
*Keri Pastika, Hibbing Community College, Minnesota
*Vanessa Almanzar, Bronx Community College, New York
*Amina Ali, Kingsborough Community College, New York
*Marcella Mohamed, Kingsborough Community College, New York
*Sherrelyn Novitsky, Kingsborough Community College, New York
*April Vroman, Mohawk Valley Community College, New York
*Elizabeth McPhee, Portland Community College, Oregon
*Julie Telesz, Butler County Community College, Pennsylvania
*Ervan Dickens, Community College of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*Carl Laguerre, Community College of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Lindi Carter, Motlow State Community College, Tennessee
Shannon Mojica, South Puget Sound Community College, Washington
*Lenora Parr, Western Technical College, Wisconsin
The scholarship is named in honor of Frank Lanza, founder of L-3 Communications, a global aerospace and defense company that produces $15 billion in annual revenues and employs close to 66,000 people worldwide. The scholarship endowment is funded equally by L-3 Communications and Medical Education Technologies (METI), one of 73 operating units of L-3. In creating the endowment, Lou Oberndorf, METI CEO and a long-time friend of Lanza, cited Lanza's visionary leadership and commitment to charitable causes as inspiration for the program.