MCLEAN, Va., April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- USA TODAY named 20 students to its 21st annual All-USA Community College Academic Team, honoring them for outstanding intellectual achievement and leadership. The students will receive a $2,500 cash award.

The All-USA Community College Academic Team presented by USA TODAY, the American Association of Community Colleges, and Phi Theta Kappa and sponsored by Follett Higher Education Group honors outstanding two-year college students.  In addition to their sponsorship of the All-USA Community College Academic Team, Follett will present $15,000 in textbook scholarships to the colleges of the student winners. Phi Theta Kappa will award additional scholarships through the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team program and the New Century Scholars Program, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and The Coca-Cola Foundation.  These include scholarships of nearly $300,000 to 200 other outstanding community college students.

The All-USA Community College Academic Team presented by USA TODAY, the American Association of Community Colleges, and Phi Theta Kappa and sponsored by Follett Higher Education Group honors outstanding two-year college students.

Following are the 20 First Team members:

• Cassandra Beverly

Merritt College, Oakland, Calif.

• Rachel Champoux

Southern Maine Community College, South Portland, Maine

• Diane Dense

York County Community College, Wells, Maine

• Geoffrey Dittberner

Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minneapolis, Minn.

• Natalie Chris Garland

Somerset Community College, Somerset, Ky.

• Kellee Green

Long Beach City College, Long Beach, Calif.

• Michael Harris

Deep Springs College, Dyer, Nev.

• Trevor Johnson

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Gautier, Miss.

• Vernon Lee Kinabrew

Pearl River Community College, Hattiesburg, Miss.

• Laura Loret de Mola

Miami Dade College, Miami, Fla.

• Tyler Olsen

Phoenix College, Phoenix, Ariz.

• Caitlyn Prichard

Chipola College, Marianna, Fla.

• Spenser Reed

St. Petersburg College, Clearwater, Fla.

• Caitlin Rinker

Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby, Ill.

• Batool Saad

Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn, Mich.

• Jared Schiff

Green River Community College, Auburn, Wash.

• David Seale

County College of Morris, Randolph, N.J.

• Stacey Slintak

Rock Valley College, Rockford, Ill.

• Carolyn Spencer

Monroe Community College, Rochester, N.Y.

• Alina Turpin

Cerritos Community College, Norwalk, Calif.

The team of 20 was selected by a panel of judges from more than 1,600 students nominated by 800 community colleges.  Judges considered grades, leadership, activities and, most importantly, how students extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom.

For more information on these winners, see the Monday, April 11, editions of USA TODAY or log on to highered.usatoday.com.

The 2011 All-USA Community College Academic Team final judges were:

• Emily Brown, Marymount University
• Deanna D'Errico, American Association of Community Colleges
• Carolyn Dietel, Mount Holyoke College
• Bob Dubill, Retired Executive Editor of USA TODAY
• Douglas Foard, Retired, Phi Beta Kappa
• Cassius Johnson, Jobs for the Future
• Nancy Sanchez-Warren, Kaplan Educational Foundation
• Linda Sanders-Hawkins, Howard University
• Sharon Shoham, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Today, through its newspaper, website and mobile platforms, USA TODAY connects readers and engages the national conversation. USA TODAY, the nation's number one newspaper in print circulation with an average of more than 1.8 million daily, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper website  launched in 1995, reach a combined 5.9 million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications with more than eight million downloads on mobile devices.  The USA TODAY brand also includes USA TODAY Education and USA TODAY Sports Weekly. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

SOURCE USA TODAY