Joseph Mattia, Allan Chapman and Maycie Schmidt will each receive $1,000 scholarships.
PARAMUS, N.J. – Bergen Community College students Allan Chapman, Joseph Mattia and Maycie Schmidt have earned recognition as 2016 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars – an award granted to only 200 U.S. students. Each will receive $1,000 from Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society of two-year colleges, to continue their studies. Bergen ranks as the only institution in the Middle States region to enroll three 2016 honorees; nationwide, more than 1,100 new members of the honor society applied.
“It’s a remarkable achievement to have three students recognized as 2016 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars,” Bergen Vice President of Academic Affairs William Mullaney, Ph.D., said. “It speaks to rigorous learning environment fostered at the College and the strength of the institution’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter.”
Chapman, of Fairview, has extensive experience in expressive arts therapy-inspired work, sharing music and other healing strategies with the developmentally disabled, senior citizens and children. He plans to pursue advanced degrees in the arts and psychology.
Mattia, of Bloomfield, has sought to expand his impact on the community while attending Bergen, serving on the Student Government Association and Student Activities Board. He plans to pursue a career in finance.
Schmidt, of Rochelle Park, a liberal arts major aspiring to teach English literature, also earned a scholarship in the spring when she won the title of best speaker during the College’s ninth annual speech competition, besting 49 competitors.
Phi Theta Kappa launched the scholarship program in 2001 and honors students carrying resumes with “outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.”
Bergen’s Alpha Epsilon Phi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa notched a spot in the organization’s global top 30 chapters rankings this year. Five student and faculty leaders achieved international and regional recognition as well – including student Sara Hwang, of Fort Lee, who was elected division I vice president and now serves on the 2016-17 Phi Theta Kappa international officer team. She represents the first Bergen student to earn a seat on the international executive board. Angie Goldszmidt, of Cresskill, and professor Win Win Kyi, of Hackensack, serve as the chapter co-advisers.
Nationwide, approximately 91 percent of Phi Theta Kappa members earn an associate degree or transfer to a four-year institution, compared to the national rate of 38 percent. The organization provides its three million student members with $37 million in transfer scholarships each year. More than 1,300 chapters exist throughout the world.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls 15,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
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