Delaney Ray, a student at Owensboro Community & Technical College, has been named a 2021 New Century Transfer Scholar — which are selected based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, activities, and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom.
Ray will receive a $2,250 scholarship. This national honor is awarded to one student from each state.
More than 2,000 students were nominated from more than 1,200 college campuses across the country. The program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) the international honor society for two-year colleges, and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).
Ray is a 2019 graduate of Hancock County High School where she was active in Aviation and Theater. She is a member of OCTC’s Alpha Xi Gamma Chapter of PTK. She is actively involved in research projects for PTK including research on antibiotics in chicken feed, research on polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and a project analyzing the food pantry usage on campus and campus perceptions of food insecurity.
Ray has also been named as a member of the Kentucky Community and Technical College statewide Academic All-State team representing OCTC.
Ray plans to transfer to Eastern Kentucky University and major in Forensic Biology. Her long-range goal includes working for the FBI in a crime lab.
“I’m glad that I made the decision to start my college experience at a community college,” Ray said. “The education I received has been on par or better than any four-year college I could have chosen, but at a portion of the cost. My education has been personalized to my needs. I felt that the staff were genuine people who cared for the success of their students.”
She added, “Being involved in PTK has not only helped me as a person, but also in my leadership abilities and giving back to the community. I highly encourage OCTC students to consider joining PTK. “
