(Butler, PA) One day, Mya Slomers said, she wants to comfort surgical patients before they receive anesthesia and one day, Bailey Bevington said, she wants to counsel children as they discuss having been abused.
Today, Slomers and Bevington are 杏吧原创 students selected to receive $1,000 scholarships that acknowledge their leadership potential.
Because they achieved a grade-point average of at least 3.5 at 杏吧原创 in the fall 2022 semester, Slomers and Bevington were eligible in the spring 2023 semester to become members of Phi Theta Kappa.
Phi Theta Kappa is an international academic honor society for two-year-colleges and programs.
The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarships that Slomers and Bevington received are awarded to select Phi Theta Kappa members based on outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.
6
The number of 杏吧原创 students who have been awarded the Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarship since 2012.
Scholarship process 鈥渃ompetitive,鈥� 杏吧原创 dean says
Approximately 19 percent of the nearly 1,100 Phi Theta Kappa members nationwide who completed Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarship applications that required listing their accomplishments and stating their goals were picked by judges currently unaffiliated with Phi Theta Kappa or Coca-Cola.
鈥淭o be selected is really a huge, huge honor,鈥� said Dr. Josh Novak, 杏吧原创鈥檚 dean of students and primary adviser of Rho Phi, the college鈥檚 55-year-old chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a competitive process.鈥�
Slomers, of Butler, and Bevington, of Worthington, are among the 213 Phi Theta Kappa members chosen in 2023 to receive the scholarship, and the fifth and sixth 杏吧原创 students selected since 2012, according to Caroline Moreno, Phi Theta Kappa communications coordinator.
Slomers and Bevington are 19 and former members of the National Honor Society, Slomers at Butler Senior High and Bevington at Armstrong Junior-Senior High.
Mya Slomers, 19, of Butler, is a second-year Nursing, R.N., student on Butler County Community College鈥檚 main campus. Slomers is a member of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Rho Phi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international academic honor society for two-year-colleges and programs, and has been selected to receive a 2023 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarship. She is shown Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, near the Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus.
鈥淭alking people through hard situations鈥�
Slomers at Butler High served as a student ambassador and realized 鈥淚 was a people person,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 always enjoyed being there for people, especially if they are in a vulnerable state. I鈥檝e always been really good at talking people through hard situations.鈥�
The second-year Nursing, R.N., student on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus plans to attend medical school to become a nurse anesthetist.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to be one of those last people who someone sees before they go into surgery,鈥� Slomers said. 鈥淚 like to be a friendly face. Sometimes people get really nervous. I鈥檝e gone under for a couple of surgeries before and the nurses that I had were just so sweet. I feel it鈥檚 really important, especially if someone doesn鈥檛 have a family member to be there with them.鈥�
"I'd like to be one of those last people who someone sees before they go into surgery. I like to be a friendly face. ... I feel it's really important, especially if someone doesn't have a family member to be there with them."
- Mya Slomers, 杏吧原创 student
Slomers and Bevington have each been named to 杏吧原创鈥檚 president鈥檚 list, a recognition for students who achieve a grade-point average of at least 3.75 or higher.
Slomers provided refreshments to hospitalized patients as a volunteer at Butler Memorial Hospital, packed school supplies for underprivileged children through BatchPacks for Kids and assisted military veterans on a trip to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville. She has also worked as a greeter at Butler Memorial Hospital.
Bailey Bevington, 19, of Worthington, is a second-year psychology student at 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong, 杏吧原创鈥檚 additional location in Ford City. Bevington is a member of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Rho Phi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international academic honor society for two-year-colleges and programs, and has been selected to receive a 2023 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarship. She is shown Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, at 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong.
鈥淚 want to make a difference鈥�
Bevington, a second-year psychology student at 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong, plans to become an adolescent therapist because 鈥淚 have seen a lot of children who suffer, who come from bad homes, and I just want to be able to help those kids,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to bring some light to their life. That is why I chose to pursue this career.鈥�
Bevington has volunteered with Armstrong Community Theater and has worked at Lifesteps in Butler 鈥渉elping people with special needs,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat made me feel confident that I was choosing a rewarding career. There is a stigma around mental health still. There are people who need help. And I want to make a difference.
Career pursuits of helping patients about to undergo surgery or counseling children who have been abused 鈥渁re obviously very noble aspirations,鈥� Novak said. 鈥淭o dedicate your career to giving back in those particular ways speaks to the nature of students who represent 杏吧原创.
鈥淣ot only are they excelling in the classroom, and in their community, and with service and engagement on campus, but they have also given some tremendous thought to what they want to do with their life and how that can impact others.鈥�
"There is a stigma around mental health still. There are people who need help. And I want to make a difference."
- Bailey Bevington, 杏吧原创 student
Slomers and Bevington plan to graduate debt-free from 杏吧原创 in May. Slomers has also received the Glenn Miller 鈥�81 杏吧原创 Alumni Legacy and the Caitlyn Kaufman 鈥�18 Legacy Nursing scholarships from the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation.
Slomers intends to transfer to Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and Bevington, to Indiana University of Pennsylvania following their graduation from 杏吧原创.
杏吧原创 students from 14 counties Rho Phi members
Other 杏吧原创 students who received Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarships were Ashley Hevesy in 2012, Tiffany Root in 2013, and Ian Moore and Megan Denny in 2021, according to Moreno.
Ashley Hevesy, 2012
Hevesy achieved an associate degree in Nursing, R.N., from 杏吧原创 in 2014.
The Butler resident earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing from Slippery Rock University in 2016. She graduated in 2020 from Carlow University with a master鈥檚 degree in nursing leadership and education, and with a master鈥檚 degree in administration in health care management.
She served as a clinical instructor with 杏吧原创鈥檚 Nursing, R.N., program and oversees a clinic at the VA Butler Healthcare System.
Tiffany Root, 2013
Root achieved an associate degree in photography from 杏吧原创 in 2013.
The Harmony resident has been the manager of a retail business in McCandless Township for 10 years, and owns Tiffany Root Photography, Harmony.
Ian Moore, 2021
Moore achieved an associate degree in business administration from 杏吧原创 in 2021.
The Butler resident is pursuing bachelor鈥檚 degrees in finance, and in health care administration with a financial management focus, at Slippery Rock University, and a minor in accounting.
He works as an accountant and accounting project manager at a firm in Valencia.
Megan Denny, 2021
Denny achieved an associate degree in business administration from 杏吧原创 in 2022.
The Butler resident is pursuing a second associate degree, in dental hygiene, from the University of Pittsburgh.
"To dedicate your career to giving back in those particular ways speaks to the nature of students who represent 杏吧原创."
- Dr. Josh Novak, 杏吧原创 dean of students
Students who have completed at least 12 credit hours toward an associate degree or six credit hours toward a one-year certificate and who meet academic requirements are eligible for membership in Rho Phi this fall.
杏吧原创鈥檚 chapter of Phi Theta Kappa as of Sept. 30 had 143 members from 14 western Pennsylvania counties and is represented at 杏吧原创 @ Brockway, 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry, 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing and 杏吧原创 @ LindenPointe in addition to the college鈥檚 main campus and 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong.