Sinclair Community College student Jeffery Gerken has been quite busy since his arrival in 2006.
Gerken’s hard work paid off last month when he was named to USA Today’s 2010 All-USA Community College Academic Team. Administered by Phi Theta Kappa, more than 1,500 students from 856 community colleges were nominated. Twenty students were awarded based on “leadership, service and academic excellence,” according to USAToday.com.
Along with winning a spot on the All-Academic team, Gerken, a 43-year-old Surgical Tech major, was one of 50 students around the country honored with the New Centuries Scholar award at the ceremony held in Seattle.
“This award is not reflective as to my personal accomplishments because none of it would be possible without the help of my advisors, fellow students, the faculty at Sinclair … every one who supports Phi Theta Kappa,” he said. “I look at that award that represents the Sinclair community and its overall achievements.”
As president of the Sinclair chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, Jeffery Gerken has led various community projects. When he joined Phi Theta Kappa in 2007, Gerken wanted to find a way to distinguish his time at the college.
“I wanted to separate myself from these 20-something year olds I was going to graduate with,” Gerken said. “I figured if I had a designation on my transcript and a little seal on my diploma that would be something I could put on my resume.
“In high school, I used to beat these kids up,” Gerken joked.
No colon, no problem
In 2005, Gerken was diagnosed with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP). FAP is a rare condition characterized by the presence of more than hundreds or even thousands of benign polyps, or growths in the large intestine. After FAP was discovered, Gerken’s colon was removed.
“I was on an ostomy for seven months while everything healed,” he said. “They connected the small intestine to the rectum and everything was hooked back up. That was a wild ride.”
Gerken said the care that he received while in the hospital directed him toward the medical field.
“Friendly, smiling faces no matter what was going on,” he said.
After recovering, he decided it was a perfect time to come back to Sinclair.
“It was at that point that if I ever got the opportunity to go back to school, I was going to get in some form of health care,” Gerken said.
Back to class
Gerken, who graduated from Carroll High School in 1985, enrolled at Sinclair in the fall of 2006 after recovering from FAP and has since earned a 3.74 grade point average.
“I came (to Sinclair) with a fear of failure,” he said. “When I graduated high school, I graduated with a 1.5 GPA. It was because I didn’t apply myself. I knew what I didn’t do in high school and I swore that I was going to do everything opposite of that when I came to college.”
Gerken is set to graduate with an associate’s degree in Surgical Technology this spring and plans to pursue a degree in Nursing when he moves on to a four-year university this summer. Gerkan said he has received offers from a number of schools, but he’s not picky.
“If someone offers me a full ride in Kansas, I don’t care,” he said. “I’ve pretty much decided I’d go anywhere right now if I can get a full ride.”