More than 50 HTA students have earned their associate degrees, while earning their high school diplomas. 

Cleveland — 28 Cleveland Metropolitan School District students enrolled in the district’s High

Tech Academy (HTA) were inducted into the international honor society for community college
students, Phi Theta Kappa. The high-achieving HTA high school students along with 24 additional
traditional aged college students were inducted into Cuyahoga Community College’s Alpha Zeta Delta Chapter.

The induction ceremony was held on Nov.  17 at the Metropolitan Campus of Tri-C. 

Launched as a new and innovative educational initiative between Tri-C and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District during the 2000-2001 school year, and joined a year later by National City Bank (now PNC) and NASA, HTA is a dual enrollment program in which nearly 270 CMSD high school students attend a half-day of school at their home high schools and then attend college classes on the Metropolitan Campus of Tri-C.

Since its inception more than 850 high school students have earned significant college credit prior to earning their high school diplomas, and many have been able to earn high grades in high school and college, simultaneously.

More than 50 HTA students have earned their associate degrees, while earning their high school diplomas.

Honor society induction ceremony keynote speaker, Mr. David Sigmund, adjunct faculty member at Stark State  College, inducted into the honor society in fall 2005, reflected upon the four hallmarks of Phi Theta Kappa, scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship. 

Sigmund passionately shared, “this is the greatest society for me.”  You’re in the top 2 percent of all college students in the United States. You should be proud, exclaimed Sigmund.

The keynote speaker encouraged the honorees take advantage of the opportunity to get involved, and be of service to your college or community.

Providing alumni remarks, Ms. Irina Novopoltseva, a 2004 inductee, congratulated the honorees and added, “hard work and extremely long hours at the library does pay off.  I am proud to have begun
my career at the Metropolitan Campus of Tri-C. You should be too.  Use your years at Tri-C to broaden
your horizons.”  

 High Tech Academy students seem to be really broadening their horizons, and are inspired by
the rigorous college coursework. “The college courses challenge me more than any high school class could currently, and that is what I was searching for,” said high school student Sophia Higginbottom. “Family, service, and education are the most important things to me, and I shall continue to strive to better myself as a citizen, and as a human being,” added Higginbottom.

HTA’s principal, Stacy Hutchinson, applauded the achievements of the school’s students. “We
are so proud of our students’ accomplishments. They are committed and driven young people who
consistently strive to do their very best academically,” exclaimed Hutchinson.

Recognized as the official honor society for two year colleges, Phi Theta Kappa serves to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students and provide opportunities for individual growth and development through honors, leadership and service programming.

Today, Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 2.5 million members and 1,275 chapters located in each of the United States, and abroad.

Tri-C’s executive director of early college and outreach programs, Kenneth Hale, added, “Our
young people have so much intelligence, talent and potential.  Having so many Cleveland high school students being inducted into this international honor society is just one example of our Cleveland youth demonstrating excellence.”

The twelve year innovative collaborative educational partnership between Tri-C, CMSD, and PNC
seems to be making an immediate and lasting impact. “Tri-C has had a huge impact on how I am today,” remarked HTA student Eddie Flores. “This experience has made me more mature and responsible after every semester. I will carry the skills I have learned to a four-year college after graduating from high school.”