Cristin Shepard, left, and Meaghan Rettele.
Coffeyville Comunity College sophomores Cristin Shepard of rural Caney and Meaghan Rettele of Coffeyville have been selected to represent the college in the ALL-USA-Community College Academic Team competition. Criteria for selection includes academic excellence and intellectual rigor combined with leadership and service that extends their education beyond the classroom to benefit society.
Kansas is one of 38 states participating in the All-State Academic Team program. The State Academic Teams were introduced in 1994 as a way to provide scholastic recognition to Phi Theta Kappa members, while promoting excellence at two-year colleges. The State Academic Teams are a division of the ALL-USA Community College Academic Team, presented by USA TODAY, and sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa and Follett Higher Education Group. The country's finest community college students competed for recognition, spots on the national team and scholarships. The Kansas All-State Academic Team is designed to provide the same kind of recognition to our state's two-year college scholars by saluting their academic achievement, leadership and service.
The twenty national team members that are named annually each receive a $5,000 scholarship, a total of $100,000 in scholarships awarded. In addition to scholarships, team members are featured in the USA TODAY newspaper and presented at the annual Presidents' Breakfast held during the American Association of Community Colleges Annual Convention. The names of the national winners have not been released at this time.
As members of the ALL-KANSAS Academic Team, the CCC students will be honored at a luncheon February 16, at the Ramada Inn in downtown Topeka. State legislators, community college administrators, Board of Trustees members, college staff, Phi Theta Kappa Advisers, and parents of the honorees are among the invited guests. Each student on the ALL-KANSAS Team will receive a capital tour, a certificate, stipend, and medallion. Nominees to the ALL-KANSAS Community College Academic Team may also be considered for the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team, and New Century Scholars. The ALL-USA Academic Team is sponsored by Follett Higher Education Group and presented by USA TODAY with additional support provided by the American Association of Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa.
Cristin Shepard is co-vice president of service for Phi Theta Kappa and a member of the Honors Program and Agriculture Club. She was an international Leader of Promise Scholarship recipient, selected for Who's Who in American colleges and universities, a Five Star Competitive Edge Member, and was selected to represent Eta Gamma as an Outstanding Officer Team member at the 2016 Phi Theta Kappa international convention. Cristin was selected as Phi Theta Kappa Member of the Month, is a member of the President's Honor Roll, and livestock judging team and was a presenter at the Kansas/Nebraska Leadership Conference. In the community Cristin is a member of Collegiate Farm Bureau and the community band. She plans to transfer to Oklahoma State University where she will major in agricultural communications and agri-business. Cristin is the daughter of Del and Reva Shepard.
Meaghan Rettele is the co-vice president of scholarship for the Eta Gamma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa providing leadership to the chapter's Honors in Action project. She is a member of the CCC Honors Program. She studies piano and provides choir accompaniment. Meaghan is a CCC Presidential Honors Scholar, was selected to present an Honors in Action educational forum at the Phi Theta Kappa regional conference and was selected Member of the Month. In the community, Meaghan plays the piano for various community events including the Brown Mansion's 12th Night. She assisted with the Operation Christmas Child Project and received a grant to install a recycling program at the Early Learning Center. Meaghan works two part-time jobs while attending CCC as a full-time student. Her future plans include attending The University of Kansas as a pre-pharmacy major. Meaghan's parents are Garrick and Mary Rettele.