PVCC student deemed among nation’s best

By The Daily Progress Staff

Published: April 9, 2008

A Piedmont Virginia Community College student has been named one of the nation’s top 20 community college students.
Jacob Neal, a Nelson County resident, was named as part of the 2008 All-USA Community College Academic First Team, an accolade sponsored by USA Today, the American Association of Community Colleges and the national two-year college honor society Phi Theta Kappa.
Neal is the fourth Piedmont student to be recognized by USA Today in the past nine years. He received a $2,500 stipend and had his photo appear in Monday’s editions of USA Today.
Neal has a 4.0 grade point average and is a co-founder of PVCC’s Student Government Association. He volunteers at the annual James River Batteau Festival and teaches English to Hispanic workers living in Central Virginia.
He will receive an associate’s degree in science next month and intends to study biology at either Virginia Tech or the University of Virginia in the fall. He hopes to one day work as a community college professor.