Lamar Community College is proud to announce Kristin Arns and Beecher Strube as the two students named to the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) All Colorado Academic Team for 2016.

Each year the All-Colorado Academic Team Luncheon and Awards Ceremony honors the top high-performing, community service oriented students from 14 Colorado community colleges.  These students belong to their college’s chapter(s) of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society and have been selected as being the “best of the best” from their respective institutions.  

Kristin Arns is the daughter of Michael and Sharon Arns of Sheridan Lake, Colorado. She is currently in her last semester at Lamar Community College and expects to graduate in May 2016 with an Associate of Arts Degree.  After graduation, she plans to continue her education at West Palm Beach Atlantic University, possibly pursuing a degree in marine biology or engineering.

Arns currently serves as the Public Relations Officer for LCC’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter.  She has been a leader in the Chapter through her contributions to Phi Theta Kappa Honors In Action Research projects that have qualified the chapter to attain four out of five star status within Phi Theta Kappa.  Arns was nominated for the All-Colorado Academic Team for her superior academic performance in her coursework, her high personal character, and her willingness to take a leadership role in campus life. 

“Kristin is a phenomenally talented thinker and one of those rare students who seems to have an aptitude for every subject she studies.  Her natural curiosity drives her learning, and it is obvious that Kristin not only works extremely hard in the classroom, but that she enjoys the process of college coursework,” remarked LCC Faculty and PTK Advisor Kelly Emick.  “She is also someone I can count on to step forward to take on responsibility, and she increases the intellectual energy in any group.”

Beecher Strube was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming.  He was raised around sports and outdoor activities, and he loves to hunt, fish, hike, camp, and play baseball.  Beecher chose Lamar Community College as the first step in his college education for its excellent baseball program and strong academics.  After graduation, Beecher plans to move on to Metro State University in Denver and pursue a double major in Business Finance and Business Management.  He hopes to someday run a successful business that works in the outdoors.

Strube currently serves as a Co-President for LCC’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter.  In addition to his involvement in PTK, Strube is a Resident Assistant in Todd Burch Hall, Student Body President, and a founding member of the Collegiate DECA chapter at LCC.  He also plays baseball for LCC’s Runnin’ Lopes. 

“Beecher has made a profound impact as a student at Lamar Community College,” noted Kelly Emick.  “He is a dynamic and extremely hard working individual who pushes himself to be his best whether it is in the classroom, ball field, residence hall, or other campus organization.  He has engaged with the campus community in so many ways, and is a great example of what a student can achieve if he or she is willing to get involved.” 

Arns and Strube will be recognized at the annual Phi Theta Kappa All-Colorado Academic Team Recognition Ceremony and Honorary Luncheon on Wednesday, March 11, at the Denver Athletic Club.

About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) recognizes the academic achievement of two-year college students and is the largest honor society in American higher education.  To be eligible to belong to the PTK honor society, students must complete at least 12 hours of associate degree coursework and earn a minimum 3.5 grade point average. Colorado’s first PTK chapter was chartered in 1932 and today there are nearly two dozen active chapters in the state. More than 51,000 Colorado Community College students have been inducted over the last 83 years.