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Mount Wachusett Community College student Christine Boadu of Holden, MA has been named to the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) All-Massachusetts Academic Team and will be honored with her peers in a ceremony to be held on May 4, 2023.
“Christine is an exceptional young woman who holds leadership positions on campus, is an incredibly hard worker, and brings great ideas forward in her work regularly,” noted PTK Advisor and Dean of K-12 Partnerships and Civic Engagement, Fagan Forhan.
“In high school I found that I wanted to grow academically and advance my community service knowledge. I did some research and found the Pathways Early College program where I was able to start college early in my junior year of high school. I was able to earn credits which would cut down the amount of time and money spent at a four-year college. I’ve also been able to participate in community service projects that have helped build my leadership skills and my love for helping my community.”
As a dual enrollment student, Boadu will be receiving her associate degree in interdisciplinary studies and her high school diploma in May. This fall, she will begin her bachelor’s degree studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell in biological and bio-medical sciences with the goal of eventually earning her doctoral degree. Boadu is drawn to the bio-medical sciences field because of its wide impact and hopes to contribute to the management and curing of diseases. In her Microbiology class, she is currently developing a project on the bacteria Proteus Vulgaris to determine what conditions, such as temperature, medium, or light wave might affect its swarming abilities and why it may or may not go through that process.
“This was exciting for me as I was able to display my love for the biological sciences in an intellectual and creative manner, while at the same time refining my research skills. I am also applying to labs for internships to gain more lab experience,” she notes.
Boadu’s parents moved from Ghana when they were in their twenties. They struggled to make ends meet and find shelter, and as the parents of three young children, working through college classes proved difficult, however they persevered, and both earned master’s degrees. Inspired by their perseverance, she sought help with her homework and college applications at her local library. The kindness of the librarians’ efforts touched her, she began to volunteer there too, helping others who were in a similar position as she had been.
“My passion for leadership is insatiable. When I volunteered at my local library, I was glad to help those who could not help themselves. It was almost as if I was their ringleader, leading them to resources and programs to help them navigate through the difficulties of American life,” Boadu adds. “I found that my passion for leadership grows each time a person learns to get back on their feet and start again. Being a leader means not standing at the highest point of the pedestal but humbling yourself to help others at their lowest points. I hope to continue such efforts towards immigrants adjusting to their new environment in the future.”
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is the international honor society of two-year colleges and has recognized and encouraged scholarship among community college students for 100 years while promoting the academic integrity of the associate degree program. Students with grade point averages of 3.5 or higher are invited to join PTK. The Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and community college presidents co-sponsor All-State Academic Team recognition programs in 39 states each year.