COCC's All-Oregon Academic Team

College names four students to All-Oregon Academic Team

Central Oregon Community College (COCC) is pleased to announce that students Amy Bachman, Erik Kersenbrock, Janae Radke and Markie Egger were selected to represent the college on the Oregon Community College Association’s (OCCA) 2020 All-Oregon Academic Team. The honor typically includes an awards banquet in mid-April with a visit to the Oregon Capitol to meet with Governor Kate Brown, now postponed to a future date due to COVID-19.

To earn the distinction, students must maintain a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA and have completed at least 54 credits. Nominated by a faculty member, finalists undergo a review process by the college’s committee for academic excellence.

Amy Bachman, 45, of Millican, has maintained a 3.95 grade point average while studying automotive technology at COCC. The dean’s list student is earning a Master Automotive Technician certification and an Associate of Applied Science degree in automotive technology in electronics and diagnostics. A Robert Maxwell Scholarship recipient, she is interested in a career in electric vehicle repair and programming.

Erik Kersenbrock, 29, of Redmond, is an engineering student who will continue his studies at Oregon State University this fall, in either electrical or mechanical engineering. Kersenbrock has kept a 4.0 grade point average and made the dean’s list every term at COCC. He is one of 52 students in the nation — representing Oregon — to receive a 2020 New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar prize, a transfer student honor co-sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges.

Janae Radke, 34, from Albany, is a nursing student who hopes to become an emergency department RN and eventually a nurse practitioner. She plans to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. With a 4.0 grade point average, the dean’s list student was one of 52 in the nation to receive a 2020 New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar prize, a workforce student honor co-sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges.

Markie Egger, 21, of La Pine, a dean’s list student every term at COCC, is planning to earn her bachelor’s degree in energy systems engineering from Oregon State University-Cascades. The former high school valedictorian and member of the National Honor Society enjoys using math to analyze everyday experiences. She looks forward to a career in energy systems engineering.

The All-Oregon Academic Team is part of the All-State Community College Academic Team program that launched in 1994 in the states of Mississippi and Missouri. Today, 38 states host All-State Academic Team programs each year, focusing on two-year colleges and recognizing exceptional students. The OCCA sponsors the annual event, in partnership with the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, which awards some $37 million in scholarships nationally to community college students.

 Image (clockwise from top left): Erik Kersenbrock, Janae Radke, Amy Bachman and Markie Egger.