LCC students named to All-Oregon Academic Team

EUGENE, Ore. — Four Lane Community College were named to the All-Oregon Academic Team, an annual recognition sponsored by the Oregon Community College Association (OCCA) to honor high-achieving students at each of Oregon’s 17 community colleges.

Students Melony Burnett, Jordan Coen, Isaiah Contreras, and Autumn Travertini (link to photos included below) were honored during OCCA’s annual All-Oregon Academic Team luncheon on April 15 as part of the OCCA Annual Conference held in Sunriver. Students are selected based on academic excellence, leadership and community service while pursuing an associate degree. Judges for the competition include college board members, college presidents and OCCA staff. The students will also receive special recognition during LCC’s commencement ceremony on June 11.

“Each of these students preserved and achieved high academic standards in their studies at Lane and plan to graduate this spring,” said Lane Community College President Margaret Hamilton. “I’m extremely proud of what they have accomplished as they each faced their own challenges and overcame them to attain their educational and career goals. They’re wonderful examples of the power of community college education.”

All four students are members of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honors society that promotes scholarship and leadership among students attending two-year colleges. The students credited the support they received at LCC – through their involvement in PTK and other services – for helping them achieve their goals.

For Burnett, 41 of Springfield, college seemed unattainable and she placed it on the back burner for more than 20 years due to her own doubts. She said she found support in LCC’s Women in Transition program to gain the confidence she needed to move ahead in her studies and find a new career path. She now plans to transfer to the University of Oregon to study psychology with a goal of continuing her studies for a career change from real estate agent to counselor. An LCC Honors program student, Burnett completes her studies at LCC this spring and has a 4.039 GPA.

Contreras, 38 of Philomath, overcame obstacles with remote learning during the pandemic to succeed in his dental hygiene studies. He plans to enroll in the fall cohort of Lane’s dental hygiene program. Contreras has a 3.762 GPA and said his participation in the LCC Honors Program made him work harder and led to his success in college.

In addition to earning her transfer degree at LCC, Coen, 21 of Junction City, also earned teacher aide certification. Her experiences at LCC have prepared her to transfer to Southern Oregon University to major in educational studies and achieve her career goal of becoming a teacher. At SOU, she also plans to study creative writing and gender, sexuality and women’s studies in pursuit of her goal to become a writer. She currently has a 3.56 GPA.

For Travertini, 33 of Springfield, pursuing her goals at LCC meant working to find a balance between her studies, working two jobs and raising her two children. The Honors program student did it all while earning a 3.71 GPA. Her goal after graduation is to continue her science studies and work toward a bachelor’s degree.

Each year, Phi Theta Kappa, community college presidents, and community college state associations like OCCA sponsor All-State Community College Academic Team ceremonies in 37 participating states.