Academic Affairs

Three HCC students nominated for All-USA Academic Team

Three Hagerstown Community College students were recently nominated as part of the All-USA/Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team, a program that annually recognizes exceptional students at the nation’s community colleges. Student nomination to the All-USA Academic Team allows students to participate on the All-Maryland Academic Team. This year’s HCC nominees are Stephanie Odogu, Maria Orozco, and Addison Snyder. 

Stephanie Odogu, of Hagerstown, is a full-time nursing student at HCC who plans to use her nursing degree to work while completing a bachelor’s degree program. After moving with her parents to the United States from Nigeria in 2019, Odogu graduated from Smithsburg High School in 2020. She chose a career in healthcare because she wants to become a pediatric doctor and break stereotypes that are assigned to women in Nigeria. 

Maria Orozco, of Hagerstown, came to HCC as a transfer student. She graduated from Unidad Educativa Colegio Inmaculada Concepcion in Barquisimeto, Venezuela in 2007. She worked in the dentistry field in Venezuela under extreme adversity, often walking two or more hours to work in the extreme heat. Her goal is to earn her degree in dental hygiene so that she may continue working within the field of dentistry and eventually pursue a degree in dental medicine. 

Addison Snyder, of Hagerstown, is a current Middle College student at HCC with a projected graduation from Grace Academy in May. She has always felt a special connection with nature, leading her to choose a major in environmental studies, which she will use to pursue a career in wildlife conservation. 

The All-USA Community College Academic Team is sponsored by Cengage and presented by USA TODAY with additional support provided by the American Association of Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team. 

Each year, participating community colleges are allowed to nominate up to two students for the transfer pathway and two students from the career pathway for the All-USA Academic Team. Students must meet a variety of criteria, including having a GPA of 3.5 or above and taking an active part in community service work through their school. Since the program began, nearly 1,000 students have been recognized and honored as outstanding representatives of community colleges. 

(February 4, 2022)