Telah Whitbey, a student at Arkansas State University-Beebe, has been named a 2024 New Century Workforce Scholar and will receive a $1,500 scholarship.
Whitbey, from Searcy, has a master’s degree in business administration and returned to college to take courses toward a career in nursing.
“My goal is to become a registered nurse in pediatrics and help children and parents through difficult times. The money will help toward that goal,” Whitbey said.
This scholarship is the first of its kind to support students at associate degree-granting institutions on a national scale as they plan to enter the workforce upon completing a degree or certificate. The program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
New Century Workforce Scholars are selected based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, activities, and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. Over 2,200 students from more than 1,300 college campuses nationwide were nominated. Only one New Century Workforce Scholar was selected from each state.
“We congratulate Telah for receiving this prestigious scholarship, and we are honored to partner with The Coca-Cola Foundation to recognize these outstanding achievements,” said Phi Theta Kappa’s President and CEO, Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner. “Scholarship programs like this are integral for creating opportunities for students to succeed as they prepare to enter the workforce and for putting college completion within reach.”
The New Century Workforce Scholars will be recognized during the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Leadership Congress, held from Oct. 23–26, 2024, in Seattle, Washington.
About ASU-Beebe Phi Theta Kappa
The ASU-Beebe Beta Omega Alpha Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society received their charter from the national PTK president and CEO Lynn Tincher-Ladner in April 2022. At the end of 2022, the ASU-Beebe PTK chapter was one of seven PTK chapters out of 41 chapters in the Oklahoma/Arkansas regional division and one of 196 chapters out of 1,270 chapters in the U.S. and Pacific region to reach the highest five-star level.