Pace, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work degree, was nominated for the All-USA Academic Team last fall as the Dalton State representative through her membership in Phi Theta Kappa, the largest honor society in America for students in higher education.

The list of nearly 1600 nominees from similar colleges nationwide was narrowed to 100 earlier this year, and those students were invited to attend the AACC convention in Long Beach this past weekend, where she and Dr. John Hutcheson, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Dalton State, attended the Presidents Breakfast with other honorees. Sixty students were then selected to be on either the First, Second, or Third All-USA Academic Team.

Pace’s selection to the Second Team means that she placed in the “top 40” of the nearly 1600 students who were originally nominated. Members of the First, Second, and Third Teams were featured in a full-page article in USA Today, which served as the funding sponsor, and members of the “First Team” received an award of $2500.
 

“She represents the very best in student achievement, as represented by her high grade point average, her involvement in student-led organizations, and her commitment to the community at large.”

In her tenure at Dalton State, Pace has served as Editor-in-Chief of Tributaries, the student-produced literary magazine; a voting member of the Presidents’ Council, a Student Ambassador, Treasurer of the Social Work Club; and a member of Phi Theta Kappa.

Married and the mother of two young sons, Pace, 29, has also been involved in community activities in the Chattanooga area and initiated the start-up of the first Tennessee chapter of Teen Mothers of Preschoolers (TMOP), an advocacy group for young moms.

She also donates her time each week to Chattanooga’s Volunteers in Medicine, helping screen patients for eligibility for services and referring them to appropriate service agencies as needed.

In addition to being named to the All-USA Academic Second Team, Pace was chosen as this year’s Georgia New Century Scholar.

The New Century Scholars program is sponsored annually by the American Association of Community Colleges, The Coca-Cola Foundation, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, and Phi Theta Kappa.

Each institution in 34 participating states that has an associate degree program of study can submit the names of two candidates for consideration. Candidates must submit one long essay and answer several short questions relating to their community and campus involvement, and must have a high grade point average. Points are awarded for the various categories, and the top scorer is chosen.

“It’s awesome,” she says. “When they called to tell me I’d received the New Century Scholar award, I started screaming; then I started crying,” she recalls. “I walked around in a daze for about five days.”

As a New Century Scholar, Pace will receive a $2000 cash stipend funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. She received recognition on the state level this spring.

Pace will graduate from Dalton State in May with an associate degree in Social Work and will begin in the Bachelor of Social Work program next fall. Her career goal is to pursue a Master of Social Work degree following completion of her BSW and to earn a law degree in the “not too distant” future.

“I consider myself to be very fortunate,” says Pace. “I’m not sure that everyone has what I’ve had, special people who believe in them and encourage them along the way.”