Accounting major Jesse Arce, Liberal Studies major Angelina Ventura and Mechanical Engineering major Gia Huy Nguyen were named to the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team. Photo by Eric Devlin
April is Community College Month, and three Montgomery County Community College students received statewide honors for their performance in and out of the classroom recently.
Accounting major Jesse Arce, Mechanical Engineering major Gia Huy Nguyen and Liberal Studies major Angelina Ventura were named to the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team.
The team is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year colleges, and The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.
This recognition honors an exceptional group of community college students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated commitment to their colleges and communities. Nguyen and Ventura were recognized as transfer scholars, while Arce received recognition as workforce pathway scholar. To qualify, transfer scholar applicants must have completed at least 36 credits and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, while workforce scholars must have a minimum of 12 college-level credit hours at a community college and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges recognized these students with other community college award recipients from across the state during a special ceremony in Harrisburg April 7.
Arce, 75, of Blue Bell, enrolled at MCCC after he was laid off from his position at an insurance company where he worked for 20 years. He received Summa Cum Laude distinction for completing the Bookkeeper with QuickBooks certification in 2025. He’s also a Dean’s Commendation List recipient and a member of Alpha Kappa Zeta, the Blue Bell Campus chapter of PTK. He’s planning to pursue a career as an accountant following graduation this spring.
“Being nominated through PTK is a real honor for me,” said Arce. “As an adult learner returning to school after many years in the workforce, this recognition means more than I can fully express. It reflects the academic work and support I’ve received from the college community along the way.”
Nguyen, 24, from Lansdale, enrolled at the College in the fall of 2023 and started taking English as a Second Language courses to help him improve. He quit his job at a manufacturing facility and took a position as a machine operator on the second shift, enabling him to study in the mornings. His success in the classroom, meanwhile, led to many new opportunities. He was named to the Dean’s List three times, he joined the volleyball club and became a member of Alpha Kappa Zeta, the Blue Bell Campus PTK chapter. He was also accepted to an Engineering Co-op at the furniture manufacturer, Knoll Inc.
“Becoming a member of Phi Theta Kappa has been one of the most meaningful recognitions of my academic journey so far,” said Nguyen. “Being invited to PTK showed me that my hard work and persistence were paying off. It gave me confidence that even while balancing work and full-time study, I could still achieve at a high academic level.”
Ventura, 20, of Horsham, used her time in community college to explore her passions and decide what she wanted to do with her life. She was named to the Dean’s List four times. She’s also the co-president of Blue Bell Campus’ Alpha Kappa Zeta Chapter of PTK. She was also a member of the Sustainability Club and assisted with the costume department with MCCC Theatre Arts and the Drama Club.
In addition, she’s volunteered to host a bingo game to raise money for Variety- The Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley and helped lead a nonpartisan get-out-the-vote initiative before the fall 2024 election with Project 26 PA. Also, she’s interned as a social media coordinator for an app users can download to have their car washed wherever they are. She’s currently interning for the independent magazine “Brown Orchid.”
“It’s surreal. I didn’t expect to get to where I am in life. High school was crazy for me,” she said. “I was not a great student. But by submitting the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team application and realizing someone’s willingness to give me a chance, it was heartwarming to me. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
Pennsylvania’s community colleges collaborate with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) universities to provide a tuition waiver to eligible All-Pennsylvania Transfer Team members at PASSHE institutions, providing two years of tuition at any PASSHE university.