North Idaho woman top-scoring student in state
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| Michelle Bristow with her daughter, Kaytlynn. |
Bristow, originally from Portland, Oregon, and now calling Hayden home, was presented with a $2,000 scholarship and plaque from the Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation while being recognized at the annual Phi Theta Kappa President’s Breakfast April 23 in San Francisco.
“Being the recipient of this award has reinforced my aspirations and dedication towards my education. I am sincerely honored and humbled by the recognition and support I have received,” Bristow said. “Thank you to North Idaho College and all of the people involved with helping me along my journey.”
After graduating from NIC, Bristow plans to transfer to Eastern Washington University to study for a degree in speech pathology. Her daughter, Kaytlynn, was born with bi-lateral neural sensory hearing loss.
Bristow became interested in speech pathology after she watched how helpful the field was for her daughter.
Bristow earned the highest score in the state at the All-USA Community College Academic Team competition, for which 1,800 applications were received this year.
Fifty community college students from the United States, Canada, and the Federated States of Micronesia have been named 2013 New Century Scholars – receiving a total of $100,000 in scholarships. The New Century Scholars Program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa, and the American Association of Community Colleges.
New Century Scholars are the highest scoring students in each state, plus one student from Canada and one additional student chosen from among one of the remaining seven sovereign nations where Phi Theta Kappa is represented internationally.
“We appreciate the support of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and The Coca-Cola Foundation to recognize the outstanding academic achievement and leadership accomplishments of these outstanding community college students,” said Phi Theta Kappa’s Executive Director Dr. Rod Risley. “These scholarships provided by organizations like Coca-Cola make the goal of college completion possible – especially during these challenging economic times.”
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 1,285 chapters on two-year and community college campuses.