LCCC Students of the Year

Lehigh Carbon Community College’s Student of the Year awards, selected by the LCCC Faculty Association, celebrate community builders, academic pioneers, and peer motivators. This year’s Student of the Year Tyler Turoczy, and Early College Student of the Year, Brianna Abbott, exemplify what it means to lead with curiosity, explore your potential, and be a lifelong learner.  

Tyler Turoczy

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Badminton Club, Student Government Association, History Club, Political Society, Honors in Action undergraduate research program, plus Pride Club, are among the membership roles Turoczy rolled with at LCCC. The Honors Scholar and computer science major admits he was fanatic about clubs and extracurriculars because they helped him feel connected to the campus community. He encourages students to come for their classes—and stick around to nurture meaningful friendships. 

“LCCC offers a whole world of opportunity, if you allow yourself to explore it,” says Turoczy. 

Turoczy is self-aware about his strengths and weaknesses, and he values club opportunities to learn from peers who could help him better understand areas like politics and history. Similarly, he knows when he’s well-suited to lead and took on executive roles with Phi Theta Kappa and the Student Government Association, serving as the vice president and finance chair respectively. 

Turoczy’s recognition as Student of the Year reflects his deep commitment to student involvement, leadership, and fostering a close-knit campus community. 

“It was just a wonderful experience knowing that I made a difference on campus. I was seen, and what I did mattered,” says Turoczy. 

Last summer, Turoczy participated in the Bucknell Community College Scholars Program, an initiative designed for high-achieving community college students looking to leverage their associate degrees into advanced degrees. Selected for demonstrating exceptional leadership, problem-solving skills, and campus engagement, his involvement ultimately earned him the scholarship funding needed to continue his education at Bucknell University this fall.

Turoczy plans to continue focusing on computer science while branching out to learn about engineering as well. 

“LCCC opened many doors for me, and I’m so excited to go to Bucknell and experience what it offers,” says Turoczy. 

Brianna Abbott

Most high school students don’t complete seven college courses in their senior year, but Abbott is anything but most high school students. 

Through LCCC’s Early College Program, she graduated valedictorian of Catasauqua High School with 14 college honors credits and a 4.0 G.P.A. Abbott says the high marks are great, but opportunities to explore unknowns and keep learning are what motivate her the most. 

As a self-professed lover of mathematics, Abbott was seeking a peer community that matched her curiosity about all things STEM. She found it at LCCC, along with some unexpected and winning connections in the liberal arts.

“Professor Jennifer Myskowski’s speech class was really eye-opening because it broke everybody out of their shells to get them to communicate more,” says Abbott. “We were getting to know each other on a deeper level. I’m STEM-brained, and I want to do all the science and all the math, but classes like hers get you talking to people, making connections, and collaborating beyond academics.” 

Experiences like this helped round out Abbott’s introduction to college at LCCC, shaping her disposition as a student leader who is curious, empathetic, and inclusive, and a make-sense honoree for Early College Student of the Year.

“I wasn’t expecting it whatsoever, and when I heard my name, I was stunned in the moment. Then, I pulled myself together and walked up on stage. I saw my family cheering for me, and I was over the moon,” says Abbott.

This fall, Abbott will continue her education at Cedar Crest College. She’s counting on a future in mathematics and possibly a minor in physics. She’s not ready to pinpoint a career goal just yet, but she’s confident about the probability of amazing discoveries.