Community College All-Stars Two Northeast Philadelphia Students Named to 2013 All-Pennsylvania Academic Team

PHILADELPHIA, April 11, 2013—Community College of Philadelphia students Dillon Maloney and Megan Kenney have been named to the 2013 All-Pennsylvania Academic Team—an honor that recognizes 45 students for scholarly achievements and for community involvement. Maloney and Kenney are both residents of Northeast Philadelphia.

Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges paid tribute to the All-Pennsylvania Scholars this week in Harrisburg.

Maloney, 22, a first-generation college student, is working toward a degree in medicine. A Science major, he has maintained a 4.0 GPA. He has received two other scholarships and has not yet decided where he plans to continue his studies. “I found great opportunity here. It is a huge untapped resource that more people should consider,” he says. Prior to his enrollment here, Maloney spent a semester at Pennsylvania State University Abington, but dropped out to help keep his dad’s metal finishing business afloat during the recession. “After almost two years of hard work and long days, I began to see the value of an education,” Maloney says. “I saw how hard my father worked for the little he had, and it truly inspired me.” His reputation as a straight-A student prompted classmates to seek his advice on how to form study groups and develop effective study methods of their own. He says he readily volunteers to do so. “It may not always be convenient, but I feel a duty to serve others and to use my experiences to aid in their journey,” he says.

After receiving a degree in Behavioral Health/Human Services from the College this May, Kenney, 49, plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree at West Chester University, followed by a master’s degree in Social Work. In 2010, Kenney was awarded the $10,000 Kathryn J. Engebretson Scholarship, which provides financial support for a student returning to college to pursue a degree. She works full time and maintains a 3.9 cumulative GPA. An enthusiastic scholar, Kenney says she “often goes above and beyond what an assignment or project calls for in order to enhance my learning.” That passion carries over into her volunteer work. A resident of Lawncrest, Kenney is working with other students to create a student-run organization called Community Resource Poverty Services that will help homeless and low-income families within the college community obtain food and clothing. She also is the founder of the Street Mission Team, an organization that feeds the homeless on the streets of West Kensington. “We help the drug addicted and homeless, as well as increasing the level of understanding among our volunteers, many of whom work in the behavioral health field,” she says.”

In order to be named to the statewide academic team, students must maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher. Team members are eligible for scholarships offered by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education that may be used at any of the system’s 14 universities. The scholarships cover up to two years of full-time tuition toward a bachelor’s degree.