Elizabeth Kelly IVC Student Trustee Wins Honor

May 18, 2007

Elizabeth Kelly, age 18, who will be graduating in May 2007 from Irvine Valley College with a double major in history and Spanish, was recently honored with a place on the 2007 Phi Theta Kappa All-California First Academic Team. Elizabeth, who is also the 2006-2007 South Orange County Community College District Student Trustee, is one of only 20 community college students in the state of California to receive this honor. These 20 students are considered the “best and the brightest” of all California community college students.

To achieve this award, Elizabeth was first nominated by Dr. Glenn Roquemore, President of Irvine Valley College and by IVC Professor Kur Meyer, her Phi Theta Kappa advisor. (Phi Theta Kappa is the national honor society for community college students.) After completing a rigorous application process, Elizabeth was then judged by a nationwide panel of adjudicators, who rank students according to their community and campus involvement, leadership and academic achievement.

Only 60 students in the State of California were placed on the All-California Academic Team. Students are placed into one of three teams according to the rank they received during the national judging process. The First Team is composed of the highest-scoring community college students in the State of California.

On March 29, 2007, Elizabeth received an All-California Academic Team medal, a Certificate of Achievement and a stipend from the Community College League of California. She also met with Assemblyman Chuck Devore,
Republican Whip and California State Senator Tom Harmon, each of whom gave her a Certificate of Achievement. Elizabeth was recognized on the floor of the Assembly during a regular session of the California State Assembly.

On April 27, 2007, at a regularly-scheduled meeting of the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, Elizabeth received special mention for her PTK achievement, as well as a Board resolution and plaque in recognition of her service as Student Trustee for 2006-2007.