THE FOLLOWING IS A DANVILLE AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE RELEASE
(ABOVE) Ashlynn Pinnick is DACC’s first Coca-Cola All-USA Academic Team winner since 2014.
DANVILLE, IL, Feb. 29, 2024 – For the first time in a decade, Danville Area Community College has a student who has earned national recognition as a Coca-Cola Scholar. DACC’s Ashlynn Pinnick was named to the 2024 Coca-Cola All-USA Academic Team based on her academic excellence, leadership, community service, and inspirational life story.
As an All-USA scholar, Ms. Pinnick will receive a medallion and at least $1,000 in scholarship money to be used toward a bachelor’s degree. Ms. Pinnick plans on completing her bachelor’s at the University of Illinois and then continuing her studies at a medical school.
A high-school valedictorian at Oakwood High School, Ms. Pinnick received a tuition-free Presidential Scholarship throughout her two years at DACC. She will graduate from DACC in May with an associate degree in science, an associate degree in arts, and magna-cum-laude honors.
Appropriate to a student on the All-USA team, Ms. Pinnick has made significant community contributions. She serves as the vice president of membership for Phi Theta Kappa, which is the national honor society for community-college students. In this role, she led a number of local and civic projects, including a major Danville clean-up initiative.
In addition, since June 2023, she has served with distinction on the staff of the College’s Child Development Center, assisting in the care of pre-kindergarten children. Her other community work and leadership includes serving as president of the Powerhouse Campus Ministry, as a member of the ACTS Campus Ministry, and as a leadership ambassador for DACC’s TRIO program for at-risk students.
One of the highlights of Ms. Pinnick’s experience at DACC took place on Sept. 15, 2023, when she was one of the featured student speakers before an audience of 700 scholarship students, donors, and their families during the DACC Foundation’s Honors Program. She spoke of how her brother’s near-fatal illness and recovery helped her realize that she wanted to dedicate her life to becoming a physician.
As she said, “This wonderful service to humanity, where everyone’s life has meaning and is worth saving at all costs; the tireless search to make someone better; to reassure friends and families of those who are not well; to analyze and problem-solve; and, to treat and heal—I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that my educational journey brings and will continue to work hard to achieve my dream of becoming a physician like the ones who saved my brother’s life.”
Each year, the Coca-Cola Foundation selects 150 college students to the All-USA Team. The 50 Gold Scholars receive a $1,500 scholarship, 50 Silver Scholars get $1,250, and 50 Bronze Scholars are awarded $1,000. Ms. Pinnick is also a finalist for a New Century Transfer Scholarship, which Coca-Cola awards to 50 students nationally.
The winners for each category will be revealed during the Apr. 25 Phi Theta Kappa All-Illinois banquet at Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Hotel. DACC Professors Ronnie Johnson and Collin Wright are advisors for PTK. Also receiving awards as students named to the All-Illinois Academic Team are Marlee Harper, Taelor Abner, and Michele Budnovich.
DACC’s last All-USA winner was Bethany Hutson, who was named a Bronze Scholar in 2014.
