MCC & IVG students make All-Iowa Academic Team
MARSHALLTOWN – Marshalltown Community College and Iowa Valley Grinnell students were honored as members of the “2026 All-Iowa Academic
Pictured from left to right: Matt Schmit, MCC Provost; Bryce Lacina; Lisa Dickinsin; Tess Pacza; Jenna Van Law and Dr. Anne Howsare Boyens, IVCCD President.
Team” at a banquet held recently in Des Moines. The Iowa Association of Community College Trustees (IACCT) sponsored the banquet.
Students honored during the banquet included: MCC students Bryce Lacina of Tama, IA; Tess Pacza of Holestein, IA and Jenna Van Law of Marshalltown, IA. Iowa Valley Grinnell students Lisa Dickinsin from Brooklyn, IA was also honored.
Each of Iowa’s 15 community college institutions nominates students. In addition to maintaining excellent grades, honorees are leaders who navigate adversity, seek opportunity, and succeed in their academic, professional, and personal lives. PTK Awards, presented by Community Colleges for Iowa, is an annual opportunity to recognize and celebrate highly achieving community college students.
The All-USA Community College Academic Team competition provides students with an opportunity to compete for scholarships to four-year colleges, and for some, a stipend for their hard work. Four students can be nominated per chapter, of which two can be nominated for the Transfer Pathway, which is for students transferring to a four-year college, and the other two for the Career Pathway – which is for students entering the workforce upon graduation.
Each fall faculty and staff are given the opportunity to nominate students for the All-USA Community College Academic Team competition. Nominees must meet eligibility requirements, which includes a GPA of 3.5 or higher; campus and community involvement, leadership skills, etc., plus completing a 10-page application online by the deadline.
The completed applications are submitted to Phi Theta Kappa headquarters where they are reviewed and tabulated. The top scoring students are selected to the first, second, and third team of the All-USA Community College Academic Team. All other students are selected for its state’s academic team, of which six IVCCD students were selected to the 2023 All-Iowa Academic Team.
In addition to being a member of the All-Iowa Academic Team, Van Law is also an All-USA Academic Team Member. Van Law received a full tuition
All-USA Academic honoree Jenna Van Law.
scholarship and a $1300 scholarship to ISU.
In attendance at the banquet were Dr. Anne Howsare Boyens, IVCCD President; Matt Schmit, MCC Provost; Cecil Holland, Chapter Co-Advisor; Jen Gunderson, Chapter Co-Advisor, Honorees: Bryce Lacina, Tess Pacza, Jenna Van Law and Lisa Dickinsin.