1501 Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55403 612-659-6000 minneapolis.

edu

A Member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system Equal Opportunity Educator and Employer

April 24, 2012 CONTACT: Leila J. Erlandson, M.A. Marketing and Communications Minneapolis Community and Technical College 612-659-6804/Leila.Erlandson@minneapolis.edu FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MCTC STUDENT NAMED TO ALL-USA COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC TEAM MINNEAPOLIS, April 24 -- Bradley Conley, MCTC Student Senate president and liberal arts and addiction counseling major, has been selected as a member of the 2012 All-USA Community College Academic Team. Only 20 students from more 1,700 nominations were selected for this prestigious honor, receiving a total of $50,000 in scholarships. The AllUSA Community College Academic Team is presented by USA TODAY and Phi Theta Kappa and is sponsored by Follett Higher Education Group. Additional support is provided by the American Association of Community Colleges. We are extremely proud of Brad and are honored to see him recognized for his outstanding accomplishments, said Phil Davis, president of MCTC. Brad demonstrates the highest level of excellence in education, leadership and community service and he inspires others to reach beyond their comfort zones to realize the possibilities of their future. Conley maintains a 4.0 GPA, been a member of the Deans List since Fall 2009 and was voted Student Senator of the Year at MCTC during the 2009-2010 academic year. He is currently serving his second term as student body president at MCTC. According to Davis, Conley exemplifies what it means to serve the campus community as well as those outside the College walls. As president of the Addiction Counseling Club, Conley established a student-to-student support network (SafetyNet) for those struggling with substance abuse the first in the history of MCTCs chemical dependency program. Implementing this program was just one of the many ways he is filling his lifelong passion for helping others. Receiving this award was a tremendous boost to my self-confidence and a confirmation of my own personal identity, Conley said. It is an honor to be recognized for serving the community and I hope the award shows other students how education mixed with community involvement makes a tangible difference in society. In addition to their generous sponsorships of the All-USA Community College Academic Team, Follett is proud to sponsor Phi theta Kappa and the All-USA Community College Academic Team through their gift of $125,000,

to honor the academic achievements of community college students. Winners receive textbook and academic scholarships, which enable these outstanding men and women to reach their educational goals. Along with his numerous community volunteer efforts, as student body president, Conley is working alongside his senate colleagues to increase student retention and graduation rates on campus through a three-tier platform of bolstering student-to-student, student-to-administration and student civic engagement. I am thrilled to see the three-tier approach come to life at MCTC, said Conley. It is particularly exciting to see how students can help take education to new heights and expand their horizons through involvement. Each ALL-USA Community College Academic Team member receives a $2,500 scholarship and special medallion. A commemorative obelisk was presented to the college president and student winners were presented at the Phi Theta Kappa Presidents Breakfast held during the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Convention on April 23, 2012, in Orlando, Florida. ALL-USA Community College Academic Team members were featured in a full-page section in USA TODAY newspaper on Monday, April 23, 2012. The awards are administered by Phi Theta Kappa. Judges consider grades, leadership, activities and most importantly, how students extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 1,280 chapters on two-year and community college campuses in all 50 of the United States, Canada, Germany, Peru, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands, the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. More than 2.5 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 135,000 students inducted annually. About Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC): MCTC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. MCTC offers students more than 130 liberal arts, career and technical education academic programs and a comprehensive array of non-credit programs to prepare students for good jobs in high-demand professions, career advancement, or transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, MCTC enrolls more than 14,000 students annually and is an active partner in initiatives designed to strengthen the social, economic and cultural vitality of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Note to Editor: Conley is a native of Owatonna, Minn. He currently resides in Loring Park in Minneapolis.