Student Success

MCC’s Omicron Beta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa brought home 11 International and 14 Regional Awards in 2014 alone. Two MCC students achieved the coveted $7,500 Hites transfer scholarship, which is awarded to the top 10 PTK students nationally: Heather Smyth in 2014 and Sahba Zaare in 2013. Devin Oakes earned the prestigious Guistwhite Medallion that is awarded to the top 20 PTK students nationally. Karina Aguilar was one of seven students nationally to receive the $1,000 Oberndorf Lifeline to Completion Scholarship, created to help financially strapped students complete their associate degree.

Established in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society serves to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students. Today PTK is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 2 million members and 1,200 chapters located throughout the U.S. and parts of the world.

MCC’s Omicron Beta Chapter was named First Finalist for Most Distinguished Chapter at the 2013 Phi Theta Kappa Conference.

In 2014 and 2015, three MCC students were named to the All-USA Community College Academic Team: Michelle Kemeny in 2014, and Andrew Sypher and Valerie LeGrande in 2015.  

Only 20 community college students are selected nationwide for the annual All-USA Community College Academic Team. The honor, which comes with a $5,000 scholarship, recognizes high-achieving, two-year college students who demonstrate academic excellence and intellectual rigor combined with leadership and service that extends their education beyond the classroom to benefit society.

The next tier in the All-USA Academic team competition is placement as a Coca-Cola Gold Scholar.  Since 2011, seven MCC students have placed as Coca-Cola Gold Scholars: Kevin Keleher, Bryan Plummer, Kathleen Stefanik, Alexandra McMullin, Devin Oakes, Mirelle Wright, and Heather Smyth. Each Coca-Cola Gold Scholar receives a $1,500 scholarship and special medallion.

All-Arizona Academic Team

The All-Arizona Academic Team is a statewide precursor to the national All-USA Academic Team. Three rounds of judging are used to rank the students for first, second or third state team. Additionally, first team members receive a $1,000 scholarship, second team members a $750 scholarship, and third team members a $500 scholarship to one of Arizona’s state universities. In 2015, MCC students Andrew Sypher Valerie LeGrande, and Jonathan Taos were named to the first place team, and Alisha Brown to the second.

Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise

MCC students Gisell Stephenson, Eduarda Dornbusch Pereira, Aurora Sparer and Kati Reyburn were recipients of national Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarships from Phi Theta Kappa. The Leaders of Promise scholarship program provides new members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society with financial resources to help defray educational expenses while enrolled at a two-year college. Up to 200 scholarships of $1,000 each are awarded annually based on applications submitted by members.

2013 Guistwhite Scholarship

Mesa Community College Student Devin Oakes was one of 20 Phi Theta Kappa members to be selected as 2013 Guistwhite Scholarship recipient. Guistwhite Scholars are chosen based on academic achievement, leadership accomplishment, and engagement in Phi Theta Kappa programs.

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2013 MCC All Arizona Scholars: Devin Oakes, Sahba Zaare, Mirelle Wright, and Lauren Campbell

2014 MCC All Arizona Scholars: Michelle Kemeny, Heather Smyth, Ryan McConnaughy, and Cortni Yorba­Moore

2014 MCC Coca Cola Scholars: Gisell Stephenson, Eduarda Dornbusch Perceira, Kati Reyburn,  and Aurora Sparer

2015 All Arizona Scholars: Johathon Talos, Valerie Le Grande, Alisha Brown, and Andrew Sypher

Mesa Community College Students Ricky LeDesma and Jonathan Talos were selected from a highly competitive process as National Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS). Talos and LeDesma spent three days at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA in 2015.

Other MCC students who participated in NCAS programs include Karina Aguilar in 2014; Wendy Nessl in 2012; and Bryan Plummer and Heather Thomas in 2011. Plummer and Thomas worked with engineers and scientists to design a robotic rover to send to Mars. Thomas continued her relationship with NASA as a paid intern and is now employed at NASA full time.

NCAS is an interactive online learning opportunity highlighted by an onsite experience at NASA. Selected students are U.S. citizens currently pursuing their initial undergraduate degree at a community college who have an interest and aptitude for mathematics, science, engineering or computer science. Winning scholars are chosen based on online module scores, completed applications and overall mission design.

Ricky LeDesma – “I have had an interest in astronomy and all things science related since I was a child.”

Jonathan Talos – “I’m an engineering fanatic, including aerospace engineering, and the chance to work with NASA really sparked my interest.”

Karina Aguilar – “The NASA program will help me experience a unique opportunity to explore what sort of professions I would be able to do with my major. As my current plan is to go to medical school for neurosurgery, I hope to integrate engineering with medicine so as to develop new technology.”

Wendy Nessel – “My grandfather worked on the X-15 project at NASA in the 1960s. It was fun to see and learn what they do.”

In 2014, Women’s Basketball and Men’s Baseball brought home national championships, bringing MCC’s total to 18 national championships in the school’s history. Hundreds of MCC student athletes earned scholarships to colleges and universities after their MCC days were over, and dozens more have played professionally. For instance: 2012 graduate Damarious Randall, a defensive back who transferred to Arizona State University, became an All-American, and was a first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 2015 NFL Draft.

MCC athletes excel on the playing field and the classroom, as well as the campus and community. There are 18 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) sanctioned sports at MCC, and in 2014, half of them finished in the top 10 in the nation. MCC was also ninth in the Learfield Cup national standings, which includes all 656 community and junior college schools that have athletic programs.

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) honored 18 Mesa Community College student-athletes as All-Academic for the 2013-14 year, as well as seven complete Thunderbird teams.

MCC's Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Chi Eta, the community college honor society of the National Communication Association, took home the Raymie E. McKerrow Chapter of the Year award at the organization’s 100th national convention in Chicago in November 2014. It was the third time the Chapter received the honor in four years.

The group encourages members to participate in service-learning projects in which students connect with the local community. It also encourages professional development with a variety of communication workshops on topics such as speech presentation, diversity, leadership and conflict styles.

The MCC Upsilon Chapter with their third Raymie E. McKerrow Chapter of the Year award in November 2014.

Two Mesa Community College students took home top awards at a 2014 national literary competition sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College. Bill Alewyn won first place in the One-Act Play category for his work titled, “The Falkner Hemingway Letters.” David Klose placed second in the poetry category for “Dividing by Zero.” After Klose and Alewyn won at a local level in Maricopa Community College District’s Artists of Promise competition, they moved on to compete at the national level.  

Each year, the League for Innovation, a consortium of community colleges across the nation, invites community colleges across the nation to participate in the annual Student Literary Competition, which provides a means to showcase a selection of the best works created by community college students.

In 2015 MCC’s Theatre & Film Arts Department and Music Department students earned extraordinary recognition at the Regional Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, against rigorous competition from not only other community colleges, but four-year institutions and graduate programs as well. The MCC Music Department performed a 10-minute scene from their fall musical Hairspray for a full house on the opening night of the festival.

MCC Theatre and Film Arts design student Jessica Thompson earned an Emerging Talent Award providing  a full-fee waiver to attend the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas. Caitlin Hardwick took second place in Technical Direction, a theatre position that wears the multiple hats of a draftsman, engineer and budget manager. Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship nominee, Janae Dunn, was a semi-finalist in Acting with her scene partner, Thomas McCoy.

Several pairs from MCC’s Music Department also competed for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. Kinsey Peotter, with partner Jonathan Holdsworth, reached the finalist round in the competition and achieved a second place finish out of a pool of 300 acting participants from across the region.

MCC Theatre and Film Arts students show their excitement as they depart for the 2014 Regional Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.