Six students from Southeast Community College will be honored as members of the 2013 Phi Theta Kappa All-Nebraska Academic Team during a ceremony April 10 at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel in Lincoln.

Two SCC students from each of the college’s three campus locations were selected to represent the college. They are Kylie Betten and Allison Glathar from the Beatrice Campus, Heidi Spier and Adam Whyrick from the Lincoln Campus, and Kyle Gossman and Brandon Keithley from the Milford Campus. They are among 28 students from the six community colleges in Nebraska who will be honored. Gov. Dave Heineman is scheduled to speak at the ceremony, which begins at noon.

Kylie Betten (Pictured Top Right)

Betten, from Deshler, graduated from SCC last December with an Associate of Arts degree. She is a student at Doane College, majoring in elementary education/early childhood education.

At SCC Betten, 20, was a member of the Storm volleyball team for two years, attended Student Senate meetings, participated in intramural sports, and contributed to a couple of issues of The Challenge, SCC’s student newspaper. She graduated with distinction from SCC and was regularly on the quarterly dean’s list. She was named to the 2011 Academic All-Region IX team, was a member of PTK, was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association Superior Academic Achievement Team, and received a PTK transfer scholarship.

Betten graduated with a 3.93 cumulative grade-point average from SCC.

Allison Glathar

Glathar, from Dawson, is in the Academic Transfer program at SCC. She plans to transfer to Peru State College and major in physical education/health and play volleyball for the Bobcats.

At SCC Glathar, 20, was a member of the Storm volleyball team for two years, served as secretary of Student Senate and was a member of PTK. She was named to the 2011 and 2012 Academic All-Region IX volleyball team, earned Honorable Mention All-Nebraska Junior College honors in 2011 and 2012, and was inducted into PTK in 2012.

Glathar holds a 3.50 cumulative GPA at SCC.

Heidi Spier

Spier, from Tecumseh, is in the Business Administration program at SCC, focusing on accounting. She is a first-generation college student who holds a 3.63 cumulative GPA at SCC.

Spier, 30, has served as Lincoln Campus Student Senate president since February 2011. She began serving Student Senate as activities chair. In March 2012 she received the Outstanding Executive Member award.

Outside of SCC, Spier serves as commander of the American Legion Post #2 in Tecumseh, and has been a member of the Tecumseh Volunteer Fire Department since January 1995.

Adam Whyrick

Whyrick, from Lincoln, is in the Business Administration program at SCC. He plans to transfer to a four-year school in August and major in accounting.

Whyrick, 34, was elected president of the Lincoln Campus PTK chapter last fall. He received recognition for earning a 4.0 GPA for the 2012 Summer Quarter, and he participates in activities such as recruitment events. He also leads initiatives such as the PTK community outreach to the Matt Talbot Kitchen in Lincoln. Whyrick has accumulated work experience outside SCC. Since October 2012 he has served as a general merchandise manager for Russ’s Market in Lincoln. He does all of the ordering, merchandising, stocking, and inventory management for two departments.

Whyrick holds a 3.86 cumulative GPA at SCC.

Kyle Gossman

Gossman, from Stella, is in the Auto Collision Repair Technology program at SCC’s Milford Campus. He is a first-generation college student.

Gossman, 20, was named the Fall 2012 Student of the Quarter. He has served as an Auto Collision Repair Technology Student Ambassador since last July. Giving prospective students and their families a campus tour makes Gossman proud.

“Tours allow me time to discuss SCC’s strong points and what I had learned since I started a year ago,” he said. “I end by telling them that I hope to see them and to get to know them better when they start attending SCC.”

Gossman, who holds a 3.99 cumulative GPA at SCC, has a career goal of owning a business.

Brandon Keithley

Keithley, from Falls City, is in the Parts Marketing & Management program at SCC’s Milford Campus.

Keithley, 19, participates in intramural and resident assistant activities. He has worked as a parts associate at A&M Green Power and has worked on his family farm, L.J. Keithley and Sons. He is no stranger to hard work.

“I was raised on the values of hard work and family,” he said. “I grew up alongside my cousins as if we were brothers on my grandparent’s dairy farm. There I learned responsibility and the value of hard work. I may not have fully appreciated the values of my youth growing up, but I do now.”

Keithley, who holds a 3.75 cumulative GPA at SCC, has a career goal of becoming a sales representative at a John Deere dealership.

Prior to the ceremony at the Cornhusker Marriott, community college students from across Nebraska will participate in a group photo and rally at the capitol. The first-ever statewide coordinated effort to heighten the awareness of the importance of increasing student success and college completion will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. April 10 on the north steps of the capitol building. Student delegations from each Nebraska community college will gather with signed Community College Completion Corps banners for a group photo, followed by a rally inside the capitol.

Students not participating in the noon ceremony at the Cornhusker Marriott will attend a pizza luncheon at SCC’s downtown Lincoln location, 1111 O St. The luncheon is being sponsored by the Nebraska Community College Association and the chief executive officers of the six colleges.

Phi Theta Kappa, two-year college presidents, and community college state associations co-sponsor All-State Academic Team recognition programs in 32 states. Each two-year college in Nebraska may nominate two students per campus to the All-USA Academic Team. Students from Nebraska nominated to the national team comprise the All-Nebraska Academic Team Academic Team. Nominations are based on outstanding academic performance and service to the college and community.