The Garden City Telegram

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GCCC students get state scholar awards

Published 2/10/2012 in Local News

By RACHAEL GRAY

rgray@gctelegram.com

Samantha Ricard and Daniel Gutierrez say their time at Garden City Community College has helped shape their education and future.

Gutierrez, Garden City, and Ricard, Holcomb, are among 53 top community college students who will be honored Thursday in Topeka at the All-Kansas Academic Team awards ceremony.

The team is made up of members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international scholastic honor society for students at community and two-year colleges.

Ricard, a sophomore in psychology, plans to transfer to Wichita State University to pursue a bachelor's degree and begin work toward a master's degree.

Ricard said she chose to stick closer to home and attend GCCC for her first two years of college because she wasn't ready to leave.

"And the cost factor — it's a lot cheaper here. I think going to a community college in between high school and a university helps you get your feet in the water," she said.

Ricard currently maintains a 4.0 grade-point average and volunteers through PTK.

She was elected vice president for scholarship by her fellow members in GCCC's Alpha Xi Upsilon Chapter of PTK, and she also is an active volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Finney and Kearny Counties. She has been listed on GCCC's honor roll and served in the fall semester during a student-initiated playground revitalization project at Garden City's Jennie Barker Elementary School.

Ricard said she was glad she got involved in PTK because of the scholarship and volunteer opportunities.

"It gives you a lot more opportunities you normally wouldn't be exposed to," she said.

Gutierrez, a junior at WSU, is majoring in business, entrepreneurship and finance with an emphasis in real estate. He spent two and a half years at GCCC.

Gutierrez said he feels honored to be named to the all-academic team.

"It feels good because there were ony two from each Kansas community college. It's a pretty big honor to be one of them," he said.

Gutierrez, who maintains a GPA of 3.7, is a business major who recently transferred to WSU after serving during the fall semester as president of the GCCC Student Government Association.

Gutierrez also represented the campus PTK chapter on SGA and served as president of GCCC's Hispanic American Leadership Organization chapter.¬ He belonged to the GCCC Student Support Services Program and did volunteer work for the Salvation Army in Garden City.

Gutierrez said he owes some of his successes to attending GCCC before WSU.

"I think it was the smartest decision I could have made. I saved money, tons of it. I was able to get really involved. Coming to WSU, or going to KU or KSU, there's a ton of organizations you can get involved in but it's not as easy. At GCCC, I was involved with all sorts. It made me a better student and made me better in knowing what I wanted to do," he said.

He said he advises students to attend a junior college before a university.

"When it's all said and done, I prepared myself for a pretty good career in the future," he said.

The All-Kansas Academic Team is sponsored by PTK International and the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees.¬ Each scholar, selected by his or her own college, becomes a nominee for the 2012 All-USA Academic Team, sponsored by PTK and the American Association of Community Colleges.

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