Lone Star College-North Harris students, Gabriella Vargas and Yuri Mendez are among the top 40 community college students in Texas. The scholars were named to the Texas All-State Academic Team from more than 86 students representing 40 Texas community colleges statewide. Vargas and Mendez received their honors at a ceremony Mar. 29 in Austin. The Texas All-State Academic Team is sponsored by the Texas Association of Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa International, a worldwide honor society. Award winners were nominated by their respective institutions and selected by Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for students from two year colleges. Nominees were evaluated on several criteria including academic achievement, community service, leadership and expression. The annual Texas All-State Academic Team celebration is a statewide recognition affiliated with the national USA Today - Phi Theta Kappa International All-American Academic Team, which is named in April in USA Today newspaper. The USA Today program recognizes the top community college students among some 1,200 colleges nationwide. Vargas, a Psychology major, has many honors and awards which include placement on fall 2008 and fall 2009 President's List, member of the Alpha Alpha Rho Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (inducted in March 2009), recognized as an Outstanding Mathematics Student (July 2009) and maintains a 4.0 GPA. An economics major, Mendez too has many outstanding awards and honors including certificate of Achievement, Newfield Award for Excellence in Geologic Education, April 17, 2009; Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society Alpha Alpha Rho Chapter, March 31, 2009; District IV Hall of Honor, Texas Region, Phi Theta Kappa , November 21, 2009; Dean’s List , Spring 2008 to present; YMCA Kid’s College Summer Day Camp, Certificate of Appreciation, June 15, 2009; Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of valuable contributions to the Supplemental Instruction Program, Fall, 2008-Spring 2009; College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) Level One Certified Tutor, Fall 2009; College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) Advanced Tutoring Certificate Certified Tutor Level Two, Fall 2009. Yuri is also a Supplemental Instructor and tutor for Geology. Lone Star College-North Harris is located at 2700 W.W. Thorne Blvd., one-half mile south of FM 1960 E, between Aldine-Westfield and Hardy Roads. For more information about the college, call 281.618.5400 or visit: NorthHarris.LoneStar.edu. With more than 62,000 students in credit classes in spring 2010, Lone Star College System is the second largest and the fastest-growing community college system in Texas and the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area. LSCS consists of five colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, and LSC-Tomball, six centers, LSC-University Park, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu. ### April 28, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: John Luedemann 281.765.7934, desk 713.875.8719, cell