New York City Phi Theta Kappa Members Continue Education with Kaplan Leadership Scholarships

Access and affordability are increasing challenges in obtaining higher education, but two organizations have made it possible for New York City minority students to gain an advantage in the process. Phi Theta Kappa, the international academic honor society for two-year colleges, and the Kaplan Educational Foundation are opening new doors of opportunity for New York City community college students.

Three years ago Phi Theta Kappa's Executive Director Rod A. Risley worked with Kaplan Educational Foundation Director Jennifer Benn to help structure a program funded by Kaplan that would provide assistance to need-based minority students attending New York City area community colleges -- and now students are reaping the rewards.

The Kaplan Leadership Scholar Program assists Scholars before their transfer from community college and through their bachelor's degree programs, working with them and their campus academic advisors. The first group of Scholars has already successfully transferred from various City University of New York schools to competitive four-year undergraduate programs, including American University, New York University and Morehouse College. According to Foundation Director Jennifer Benn, "Kaplan Scholars are supported for several years -- from receiving their associate degrees through to the completion of their bachelor's degrees, so that they can achieve their academic and career goals and eventually become leaders in their communities."

"It is very much a hands-on program to help students complete an associate degree and prepare to transfer to very good colleges," Risley explained. "Kaplan provides scholarships and much needed personal advising in the way of assistance."

Nine New York City area community college students were designated Kaplan Leadership Scholars in 2007, and seven of the nine were Phi Theta Kappa members.

2007 Kaplan Leadership Scholars include:

Kwesi Blackman
Kingsborough Community College student

Keisha Carrington
Borough of Manhattan Community graduate, transferred to Goucher College

Aaron Hudson
LaGuardia Community College student

Bolaji James
New York City College of Technology graduate, transferred to Morehouse College

Veronica Nunez
Queensborough Community College student

Hamissou Samari
Borough of Manhattan Community College graduate, transferred to the American University

Martha Santos
Borough of Manhattan Community College graduate, transferred to New York University

Sharrise Simmons
Borough of Manhattan Community College student

Levald Thomas
Kingsborough Community College student

Blackman, Carrington, Hudson, Nunez, Samari, Simmons and Thomas are members of Phi Theta Kappa.

These students say Phi Theta Kappa is providing recognition of their academic excellence at the two-year college level and the kind of opportunities for leadership and service they need to be accepted into programs such as the Kaplan Leadership Scholar Program.

"Being a member of Phi Theta Kappa helped me be accepted into the Kaplan Leadership Program because it helped build my academic confidence," said Kingsborough Community College student Levald Thomas. "With the insight of the Kaplan staff, I see the value of academics and education in a totally new light. I've always had goals but through the program I created an actionable plan to make my goals a reality." Eventually Thomas dreams of starting his own business as a motivational speaker.

Fellow Kingsborough Community College student and Kaplan Scholar Kwesi W. Blackman said being a member of Phi Theta Kappa showed Kaplan that he was serious about his education, goals and desire to make a difference at his school. The scholarship has enabled Blackman, a U.S. Army veteran of Iraq, to transfer to Northeastern University in Boston, where he is majoring in biology and pre-med in preparation to become a surgeon. "The scholarship has supplied me with a monthly stipend, paid for my books, and paid for one-on-one tutoring for my classes," Blackman said.

Veronica Nunez, another Kaplan Scholar, who also serves as president of her Phi Theta Kappa chapter at Queensborough Community College, is currently applying to several four-year colleges and planning to transfer this fall. "The Kaplan scholarship is helping me in my education because it has provided financial support, career counseling, a living stipend, and college transfer assistance," she said. Nunez, who moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic two years ago, hopes to major in psychology with a concentration in childhood psychology and educational studies. Her goal is to become a child psychologist.

"Kaplan offers financial support for tuition, books, and supplemental life stipends which allow us to work a little less and focus more on our education," said Kaplan Scholar Aaron Hudson, who serves as president of his Phi Theta Kappa chapter at LaGuardia Community College. "Kaplan also provides us with leadership workshops, transfer services, and tutoring to assist us in our studies." He is hoping to transfer in the fall semester to earn a degree in Network Systems Administration. "Ultimately, I will own my own IT consulting firm. I plan to offer services from basic hardware installations and maintenance to security and network administration for corporate-sized organizations,"
Hudson said.

"Being active on campus is one of the main requirements to win the Kaplan scholarship. Being a member of Phi Theta Kappa as one of the most important decisions I made as a student at BMCC, for I believe it increased my chances to be accepted into the Kaplan Leadership Program," said Hamissou Samari, a graduate of Borough of Manhattan Community College. "I used to wonder what my life would be without a college education, now I can't help wondering what my college education would have been without the Kaplan scholarship. Indeed before Kaplan, the associate degree was a great challenge to me. Thanks to Kaplan the bachelor degree is no longer out of my reach." Samari has now transferred to the American University in Washington, DC., where he is majoring in international service, hoping to someday work for an international organization, a non-governmental organization or a non-profit organization.

The Kaplan Leadership Program has announced a February 1, 2008, deadline for applications from community college students. Successful applicants will receive up to $25,000 in financial aid annually, in addition to other financial support, personalized advising, tutoring, leadership training, and career counseling.

Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, is the largest honor society in American higher education with 1,250 chapters on two-year and community college campuses in all 50 of the United States, Canada, Germany, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands, the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. More than two million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 100,000 students inducted annually. For more information, visit www.ptk.org.

The Kaplan Educational Foundation was founded by Kaplan, Inc., a global leader in education and career services. The Foundation provides high-potential, low-income students with academic and financial support, and leadership training to raise their expectations for success and open doors to opportunities that will change their lives and their communities. For more information about the Kaplan Educational Foundation, please visit www.kaplanedfoundation.org.