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MWCC Students Named to Phi Theta Kappa All-Massachusetts Academic Team

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MWCC President James Vander Hooven, student Nathaniel Soucy, and Commissioner Noe Ortega
MWCC President James Vander Hooven, student Nathaniel Soucy, and Commissioner Noe Ortega at the State House ceremony on May 9th.

Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) students Nathaniel Soucy of Monson and Keila Mejia of Clinton have been named to the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) All-Massachusetts Academic Team and were honored with their peers in a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House on May 9, 2025.

“These students are excellent examples of student leaders on campus,” noted PTK Advisor and Dean of K-12 Partnerships and Civic Engagement, Fagan Forhan.

Soucy, an early college student, graduated with his peers on May 14th with a degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences and will receive his high school diploma on May 30th at the MWCC Early College Graduation Ceremony. Soucy looks forward to pursuing a career as a history professor at the middle or high school level. “I knew at a young age that I belonged in a classroom. As time passed by, this dream stuck with me and developed. I realized history was my passion and if I were teaching anything, it would be history.”

Mejia, a Business Administration major with 4.0 GPA, is also a member of the Alpha Beta Gamma honor society. While pursuing her degree, she is balancing studies with being a caregiver to her mother who has Alzheimer’s. “Balancing school and caregiving is demanding, but it has taught me resilience and adaptability. This experience has made me stronger, showing that I can overcome difficult situations and persevere.” Mejia’s goal is to go on to earn her MBA.

MWCC President James Vander Hooven and Phi Theta Kappa Advisor Tami Morin attended ceremony at the State House in support of their students.

“I am so proud of the motivation and dedication of these students and their unwavering commitment to excellence,” shared Morin.

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.