OCTC's Delaney Ray Earns National Honor

Named as a 2021 New Century Transfer Scholar

by Bernie Hale

Please Note: Corrected name spelling Dr. Tim Dick.

Owensboro, KY (03/22/2021) — Delaney Ray, a student at Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) has been named a 2021 New Century Transfer Scholar and will receive a $2,250 scholarship. This national honor is awarded to one student from each state.

New Century Transfer Scholars are selected based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, activities, and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. Over 2,000 students were nominated from more than 1,200 college campuses across the country. The program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) the international honor society for tw-year colleges, and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

Ray is a 2019 graduate of Hancock County High School where she was active in Aviation and Theater. She is a member of OCTC's Alpha Xi Gamma Chapter of PTK. She is actively involved in research projects for PTK including research on antibiotics in chicken feed, research on polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and a project analyzing the food pantry usage on campus and campus perceptions of food insecurity. Ray has also been named as a member of the Kentucky Community and Technical College (KCTCS) statewide Academic All-State team representing OCTC.

Ray plans to transfer to Eastern Kentucky University and major in Forensic Biology. Her long-range goal includes working for the FBI in a crime lab.

Ray added, "I'm glad that I made the decision to start my college experience at a community college. The education I received has been on par or better than any four-year college I could have chosen, but at a portion of the cost. My education has been personalized to my needs. I felt that the staff were genuine people who cared for the success of their students."

When asked about her experience as a member of PTK she commented, "Being involved in PTK has not only helped me as a person, but also in my leadership abilities and giving back to the community. I highly encourage OCTC students to consider joining PTK. "

OCTC President Dr. Scott Williams added, "We are very proud of Delaney and all her accomplishments. Our PTK is very active and prepares these students well for the next step on their higher education journey. It is a true testament to how hard Delaney and our PTK students work."

Students are invited to join PTK after reaching a minimum 12 number of hours with a 3.5 GPA, student are expected to maintain a minimum of a 3.0. There is a $70 one-time membership fee and applicable participating students are awarded honor cords and may wear a PTK stole with the traditional cap and gown at graduation. Membership also includes the option of participation in hallmark projects selected at the local level and inclusion in scholarship awards like the New Century Scholar program.

For more information on OCTC's PTK please contact Dr. Tim Dick at tim.dick@kctcs.edu.

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