Orion Barber
Congratulations to Orion Barber, who was selected as a member of the 2018 All-USA Academic Team and as the New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar for New York State! Orion will receive $7,250 in scholarships.
Deeply involved in campus life, Orion is president of both of the college’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and president of the Women’s Discussion Group (he was the only member from the previous year). As the student representative on the college’s Board of Trustees, he takes part in a decision-making process that affects the college as a whole, serving alongside community leaders and the college’s president.
He has a passion for civic engagement and has participated in variety of progressive causes off-campus, including volunteer work for political campaigns and marshalling marches for Citizen Action. He’s also been recently invited to the International Scholar Laureate Program, and is a Congressionally Commended Eagle Scout.
Orion is currently working toward two degrees: an A.S. in Mathematics and an A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies, a testament to his passion for numbers and for civic engagement. Ultimately, he hopes to pursue mathematics as a field, although he’s open to his career options: professor, researcher and big data scientist, to name a few. His ultimate transfer school is the University of Oxford in Great Britain, the oldest university in the entire English-speaking world.
Only 20 students nationwide were named to the prestigious All-USA Academic Team, which is sponsored by the Follett Higher Education Group, with additional support from the American Association of Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa. All-USA Academic Team members receive a $5,000 scholarship, a special medallion and recognition.
As the highest scoring students in the state in the All-USA Competition, Orion also qualified as the 2018 New Century Transfer Pathway Student from New York. For this honor, he will receive an additional $2,250 scholarship, a special medallion, and a certificate from the Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.
The awards will be presented during Phi Theta Kappa’s Presidents Breakfast at the AACC Convention scheduled for April 30 in Dallas, Texas.
Tags: Student Profile
