Wayland College Student Makes Phi Theta Kappa Academic Team

WAYLAND, MA — A MassBay Community College student from Wayland was recently selected to a prestigious academic society, along with only two other students from the community college.

Here's more from a MassBay press release:

MassBay Community College is pleased to announce that students, Nathalia Goettert of Wayland, Sungmin Kim of Belmont, and Ashley Robinson Snell of Westborough, have been named to the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) All-Massachusetts Academic Team and have been virtually honored by the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC).

The PTK Community College Excellence Week started on April 27 and ran through May 1. MACC highlighted the student members of the All-Massachusetts Academic Team for their outstanding academic achievement and exemplary student service on its social media pages.

Traditionally, a celebratory ceremony is held at the Massachusetts State House to honor the highest academic achievers in the state’s 15-member community college system. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Phi Theta Kappa All-Massachusetts Academic Team ceremony originally scheduled for April 8 at the state House was canceled.

Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges, has recognized community college students and encouraged scholarship for more than a century. They promote the academic integrity of the associate degree program. Students with grade point averages of 3.5 or higher are invited to join Phi Theta Kappa.

“We are extremely proud of Nathalia, Sungmin, Ashley, and all the PTK community college students across Massachusetts who have been selected for this honor,” MassBay President Dr. David Podell said in a news release. “We celebrate their accomplishments, dedication, and perseverance, and we will congratulate them virtually for this prestigious accolade.”

"Every year, we look forward to this opportunity to highlight community colleges’ commitment to access, opportunity, and excellence. Despite the virtual nature of this year’s recognition, the outstanding achievements of our students cannot be understated. We are proud of all they have accomplished and celebrate the continued pursuit of their academic and career aspirations," Director of the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC) Tom Sannicandro said .

The 2020 Phi Theta Kappa All-Massachusetts Academic Team members are:

• Berkshire Community College students Travis Costello and Jimmy Phan
• Bristol Community College students Hannah Davignon, Lindsay Dias, and Paul Rhuda
• Bunker Hill Community College students Oumaima Erragragui, Prepsa Ghimire, and Elidijon Tafa
• Cape Cod Community College students Lexis Grandel, Noah Lamperti, and Cassandra Robin
• Greenfield Community College students Hailee Galandak-Cochran and Clairise Netto
• Holyoke Community College students Maxwell Faytell, Esfier Okhrimenko, Synell Rodriguez, and Jordan Wyman
• MassBay Community College students Nathalia Goettert, Sungmin Kim, and Ashley Robinson Snell
• Massasoit Community College students Kevin Denicola and Jasmine Jaynes
• Middlesex Community College students Cara Hartsgrove, Sokharath Koy, and Andrea Wallis
• Mt. Wachusett Community College students Ammar Alkayal and Sidney Myers
• North Shore Community College students Laela Bisgrove, Larissa Louissaint, and Vanessa Molina
• Northern Essex Community College students Zaida Melina, Pimentel Gamboa, and Jonas Ruzek
• Quinsigamond Community College students Krystle Bedrick and Temsalet Molla
• Roxbury Community College students Michael Gregorka and Kimberly Headley-Jeffrey
• Springfield Technical Community College students Gary Hutchins and Helder Serrazina

Nathalia Goettert, an international student from Brazil, is a biotechnology major at MassBay Community College. She is a participant in MassBay’s STEM Mentor Program, which matches her with a local biotechnology professional who provides her with academic and career support. The program also offers her the opportunity to participate in many career-focused events and activities.

Nathalia is scheduled to graduate with her Associate of Science degree in spring 2021. She hopes to transfer to the University of Massachusetts or Northeastern University to continue her studies in biotechnology. Her career goals include working in the biomanufacturing industry, where she hopes to help people by discovering and producing treatments to cure diseases. When Nathalia is not on the MassBay campus, she volunteers at animal shelters and loves cooking and baking at her Wayland home.