Archived Student Excellence

Two MCC Students Honored with National Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships

September 2025

Two McLennan Community College (MCC) students have been awarded national scholarships from the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society. The scholarships awarded are based on academic excellence, leadership, and workforce readiness.

Caylee Hannum, a veterinary technology major from Hewitt, Texas, was named a 2025 Chime Workforce Scholar. Hannum is one of 200 community college students nationwide selected for this scholarship, which awards $1,000 to students enrolled in workforce programs. The scholarship, funded by the Chime Scholars Foundation, supports educational expenses and other costs such as certification fees, uniforms, and tools.

“This scholarship is helping me follow my dream of helping animals,” said Hannum when asked about the impact this scholarship will have on her education.

Yuto Goto, a biology and psychology major on a pre-med track, was selected as a 2025 Dr. Mary Hood STAR Scholar. Originally from Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan, Goto was chosen for his outstanding academic achievement and leadership skills.

“When I started my journey at MCC, I never imagined how much my life would change,” said Goto. “The support I’ve received at MCC has helped me grow not only as a student but also as a leader, and I hope to pass that encouragement forward to others pursuing their dreams.”

PTK is a national honor society that provides students with opportunities to cultivate professional and leadership skills, secure scholarships, explore career paths, and network with peers and advisors.

For more information about PTK at MCC, contact advisors Annette Bigham, Fabion Luevano, and Ken Walker at mccptk@mclennan.edu.

Kudos to these students on this incredible achievement!

Engineering Team Wins Multiple Awards at NASA MINDS Competition

May 2025

A group of engineering students from McLennan Community College recently brought home three awards in the Underclassmen Division of the NASA Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Innovative New Designs for Space (NASA MINDS) Challenge.

The team placed 2nd overall and earned 1st place in Research Poster, 2nd place in Overall Build, Design, and Demonstration, and 3rd place in Technical Paper. They were the only two-year college in the nation to place!

Their project focused on developing and testing strategies to reduce the harmful effects of lunar regolith, a highly abrasive and toxic dust that threatens long-term structures and habitats on the Moon and Mars. Through their work, the students gained experience in applied research, design, and presenting their findings to NASA engineers. This effort supports MCC’s strategic plan by giving students meaningful, hands-on learning that connects directly to real-world challenges. Their success shows that MCC students can compete and win on a national stage.

The team consisted of Mike Baker (team lead, Electrical Engineering), Mason Vanek (Mechanical/Aero Engineering), Brady Vanek (Mechanical/Aero Engineering), Jordyn Winter (Mechanical Engineering), Kandace Brown (Mechanical Engineering), and Vince Iwunze (Biomedical Engineering) and their faculty April Andreas (Engineering) and Larry Benton (Chemistry).

Congratulations to these students and faculty for this amazing accomplishment!

Student Government Wins First Place for Video at State Convention

The MCC Student Government group attended the Texas Junior College Student Government Association (TJCSGA) state convention this past April. We had students serve on the constitution & bylaws, resolutions, and awards committees. The students won first place for a video they submitted, 100% student made (acting, filming, and editing)! They were also elected to serve as Vice President school and Advisor-elect for our region.

Catch a glimpse of their incredible talent in this award winning video.

Kudos to these students on their outstanding achievement!

MCC Cyber Dream Team: A Fusion of Talent Wins First Place

A team of McLennan Community College (MCC) students proved their cybersecurity expertise by securing first place at the inaugural Cybersecurity Interdisciplinary Incident Response Competition (CIIRC), held earlier in the school year. The MCC team competed against universities, including Baylor University and Texas A&M, in an intense, three-day competition.

The event, designed to simulate real-world cyber crisis scenarios, tested students' ability to respond to a cyberattack from multiple perspectives—technical, legal, business and public relations. Competitors were challenged to analyze security breaches, determine recovery strategies, assess financial and reputational risks, manage press conferences and report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) per regulatory standards.

“This competition was about more than just cybersecurity—it required strategic thinking, teamwork and an understanding of how different disciplines come together to address real-world cyber incidents,” CIS Program Director Jeremy McCormick said. “Our students demonstrated an incredible ability to adapt, problem-solve, and work across fields—exactly what the industry needs today.”

MCC’s team of five students come from diverse academic backgrounds, including supply chain management, global logistics, paralegal studies, network administration and cybersecurity. The team was led by CIS Professor Joshua Sullwold and CIS Program Director Jeremy McCormick at MCC.

The CIIRC competition was developed over the past two years through the Central Texas Cyber Initiative (CTCI), a Department of Education-funded collaboration between MCC and Baylor University. This year’s competition marked its official launch, with organizers hoping to expand the event into a premier national competition.

Congratulations to these students for their remarkable accomplishment!