An aspiring chemical engineer and an advocate for women and children were among students honored on Monday at the Oregon State Capital by Gov. Kate Brown as members of the 2017 All-Oregon Academic Team.
Each of Oregon’s 17 community colleges may nominate up to two outstanding students for the team, which is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the Oregon Community College Association, and the 17 Oregon community college presidents.
Blue Mountain Community College’s honorees are Daniyal Nadeem and Laura Jokinen. BMCC President Cam Preus joined the students
in Salem for a luncheon honoring all of the All-Oregon Academic Team students from around the state.
Nadeem is originally from Pakistan, and is co-president of BMCC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa honor society. He is also an active member of the Beta Delta Zeta chapter, and last year led the chapter’s Honors in Action research project. As a result, Nadeem coordinated with the Children’s Museum of Eastern Oregon for his physics class to provide hands-on demonstrations of physics concepts. He intends to transfer to Oregon State University to study chemical engineering.
Jokinen is currently working on her Bachelor’s degree in social welfare at Eastern Oregon University, after completing her Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree at BMCC in December 2016. Her goal is to be an advocate for women and children so that they know about and have access to resources to improve their lives. Jokinen, who has two daughters, volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), working with families in crisis. She is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa, and participates in BMCC’s TRiO program.
The All-Oregon Community College Academic Team, a part of the national All-State Community College Academic Team program, 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 All-State Community College Academic Team Program promotes statewide to legislators, corporate, community and education leaders our nation’s institutions, quality of instruction and outstanding students. The All-State Community College Academic Team program began in 1994 in Mississippi and Missouri. To date, there are 38 states that host All-State Academic Team Programs each year to highlight two-year colleges and recognize exceptional students.
