West Windsor, N.J. - During Mercer's Honors Convocation that preceded commencement on May 24, the college recognized the academic achievements of top students from the Class of 2012. One-hundred-twenty awards were presented to these special graduates before a capacity crowd of family and friends at Kelsey Theatre.

MCCC faculty and administrators were on hand in full regalia to present academic certificates and scholarships to this special group of students. Among the honorees were 21 members of Alpha Theta Gamma, MCCC's chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, 15 NJ STARS graduates, and eight Honors Program graduates.

Some of the college's highest achievers received multiple awards. NJ STARS graduate Michael DiPersio received the Fred Anker Memorial Scholarship in Business and the Robert Harris Memorial Scholarship. He will be attending the Rutgers University School of Business in the fall. As a member of Phi Theta Kappa, DiPersio was selected to represent the college as part of the 2012 All-USA Academic Team, along with PTK student Linda Cruzeta.

Graduate Sean Lerch received the Outstanding Achievement Award in Electronics Engineering, as well as scholarships from the Abrams Foundation and Kahn Foundation. A PTK student, Lerch will attend the New Jersey Institute of Technology in September to pursue a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology.

Honors Program Coordinators, Dr. Carol Bork and Dr. Gianna Durso-Finley acknowledged the eight students who graduated with a Mercer Honors Program designation, signaling their high level of performance in these seminar-style, academically rigorous classes.

This year's scholar athletes were Mary Rossi, Stanley Tuchez and Vitoria Lorenzetti. Rossi, a two-year member of the women's softball team, will continue her studies in Elementary Education at Rider University. Tuchez, who played basketball for the Vikings, will continue his studies in Business Administration at Rutgers or Temple University. Lorenzetti received the Dr. Cynthia Shaffer Memorial Scholarship in recognition of her achievement as a student athlete in women's cross country, as well as the Outstanding Achievement Award in Communication. She will continue her studies next year at the City University of New York.

Also recognized in the Honors Convocation program were 101 PTK inductees for fall 2011 and 119 spring inductees, along with 21 new members of the Alpha Mu Gamma National Collegiate Foreign Language Society and 46 students selected for Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges

MCCC gratefully acknowledges the many donors who provided scholarships that enable graduates to continue to pursue their academic goals at four-year institutions.

More photos are available on MCCC's Facebook page here.

Andrew Kotula received the Outstanding Achievement Award in Organic Chemistry, while Kathryn Kingsley was selected for the Outstanding Volunteer Award in Chemistry. Both students pursued intensive honors research and will transfer to continue their studies in science.

Three-Star PTK graduate Alex Henry earns his degree in Network Engineering Technology, but took a wide variety of challenging classes that broadened his horizons. Henry was an active participant in the Student Government Association, serving as a senator, public relations representative, and, during the 2011-12 year, as vice president, when he represented the student body as part of MCCC's College Governance Council.

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