It’s not easy trying to run your own small business, especially when you’re also taking college courses at the same time. For Ashley Tokarski, life can be tough balancing work as a professional house painter, while also studying to become an interior designer.

“I’m very busy,” said Tokarski, 22, of Pottstown. “I have no free time. I stay up sometimes until midnight or 1 a.m. doing school work. On weekends, I’m on the computer doing classwork or reading books. I’ve been very busy since I started going to college.”

All that hard work though is starting to pay off. Tokarski was recently named as one of four Montgomery County Community College students selected for the 2019-2020 All-Pennsylvania Academic Team, which is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, and the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.

The recognition honors an exceptional group of community college students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated a commitment to their colleges and communities. To qualify, students must have completed at least 36 credits and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. 

The four students excel academically, earning their places on the dean’s list and as members of PTK, and they are actively involved on campus and in their communities.

Pennsylvania’s community colleges collaborate with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities to provide scholarships to All-PA Transfer Team members at PASSHE institutions, providing two years of tuition at any PASSHE school.

“It’s fantastic,” Tokarski said on receiving the recognition. “It’s kind of unreal. I never thought there would be a scholarship to cover tuition. I’m looking to transfer in a couple months and it’s hard to find good scholarships. This is really fantastic and amazing. I’m so glad I was nominated.”

Tokarski began attending classes at MCCC’s West Campus in Pottstown in 2018. She’s currently a liberal arts and sciences/general studies major. After graduating from Brandywine Heights High School, in Mertztown, Pa. in 2016, she spent the next two years working as a painting apprentice. Then in 2019, she had developed enough clients to break out on her own. By ultimately becoming an interior designer, it would allow her business to grow even larger.

“Right now I’m mainly doing painting and construction,” she said. “I’d like to do furniture, floors- all of it together. I wanted to study interior design in college first to get the experience. I’m already kind of doing it, but it definitely helps to have an education.”

As she finishes up the semester from home following the COVID-19 pandemic, Tokarski said she’s managed to handle the changes pretty well so far.

“The transition to online classes was pretty easy considering that I’ve taken classes online before,” she said. “It’s definitely challenging staying at home but we are all in this together and we’ll be fine.”

Outside of the classroom, Tokarski is involved on campus. She’s vice president of the Beta Tau Lambda chapter of PTK, she also volunteers with the College’s Stock Up for Success food pantry and volunteers with local community cleanup efforts.

“It’s rewarding to be able to give back to people who are in need of help,” she said.

While Tokarski hasn’t yet decided on where she would like to transfer to complete her bachelor’s degree, she said she was interested in attending a state school in order to take advantage of the two year scholarship. She thanked her family and friends for their encouragement throughout her time in school. She also encouraged anyone thinking about going back to school to follow her example by working hard and preventing distractions from allowing them to achieve their dreams.

“It pays off,” she said. “It’s worth it.”