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EUGENE, Ore.— ����Vlog�ٷ� students Maya Treder and Ethan Smallwood have been named to the All-Oregon Community College Academic Team sponsored by the Oregon Community College Association to honor high achieving students at each of Oregon’s 17 community colleges. In addition, Treder was named a 2020 PTK honor student, one of only four in the state. PTK, or Phi Theta Kappa, is the international honor society for two-year colleges.

“I am so proud of Maya and Ethan,” said ����Vlog�ٷ� President Margaret Hamilton. “They are both hard working and conscientious students. They exemplify the high academic standards that community college students can achieve.”

Students are selected based on academic excellence, leadership and community service while pursuing an associate’s degree. Judges for the competition include college board members, college presidents and OCCA staff.

Treder, 19, of Eugene, will earn an associate degree in general science from ����Vlog�ٷ� and plans to transfer to the University of Oregon. While at ����Vlog�ٷ� she achieved a 3.919 GPA and made the president’s and vice president’s honor rolls. She participated in several activities including the ����Vlog�ٷ�’s Honors Program and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, was a LCC Foundation scholarship ambassador, and volunteered at the annual Whiteaker Community Dinner at Thanksgiving. She previously served as student representative on the 4j school board.

“College has been my goal since I was a child,” says Treder. “It was understood that college was the path to success in life. When I dropped out of high school and subsequently began alternative education, I thought I would not achieve that goal.” Nonetheless, she found the support she needed to enroll at ����Vlog�ٷ� and she wants to teach math and science. “����Vlog�ٷ� supported my ambitions and provided networking opportunities and contact with people in my field. ����Vlog�ٷ� has endowed me with confidence that I can succeed in university and beyond, which is invaluable.”

Smallwood, 21, was born in Durban, South Africa. After completing his studies at ����Vlog�ٷ�, he plans to major in biological engineering at Oregon State University. He has achieved a 3.85 GPA at ����Vlog�ٷ�, made the president’s honor roll, participated in Phi Theta Kappa, and tutored other students.

“I grew up in South Africa and decided to attend university in the U.S. when massive civil unrest around universities within my own country broke out,” he says. After finishing OSU he wants to work in research, primarily in genetic diseases. “It has always been a dream of mine to cure diseases that we have no control over, a genetic lotto that designates you an unlucky hand. When my best friend’s father got diagnosed with Parkinson’s, which he inherited from his father, it solidified my resolve to pursue this dream.”

An awards luncheon for the student scholars is normally held in April with the governor at the state capitol, but this year’s luncheon will be rescheduled when the pandemic has subsided enough for people to gather safely.

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