BMCC’s 2007 Valedictorian Moni Woweries was one of only 20 Phi Theta Kappa members this year to have her literary work accepted by the international honor society’s anthology, Nota Bene.
Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in American higher education, and requires its members have a 3.5 grade point average (GPA). It serves to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students and provide room for individual growth and development through honors, leadership and service work.
Taking its name from the Latin expression “Note well,” Nota Bene was founded in 1994 to showcase exceptional work by Phi Theta Kappa members and promote the ideal of excellence in writing. It carries its banner of literary excellence to more than 1,700 libraries nationwide and abroad.
Woweries’ literary work, Watching the Rain, was picked from more than 1,000 submissions for placement in the 13th annual edition of Nota Bene.
Congratulations from Nota Bene
“We are delighted that the work of Moni Woweries … has been selected for publication in Nota Bene. We are very proud of Moni, and equally pleased with the excellent work done by the BMCC chapter (Alpha Kappa), under the direction of advisors Dr. Miriam Caceres-Dalmau, and Dr. Carlos Hernandez,” said Phi Theta Kappa Executive Director Rod A. Risley, who’s also the founding editor of Nota Bene.
“In a world emphasizing accelerated electronic communication, I feel it is even more crucial that we continue to carry the banner for clarity and creativity in writing, and for outstanding research,” Risley continued. “We are pleased to honor this year’s Nota Bene authors, and extend our sincere congratulations to these students and their colleges.”
About Woweries
Born in Germany, Woweries, at 17, spent her last year of high school as an exchange student in North Dakota, and stayed in the U.S. for good after graduating. The next few years she studied at a musical theatre conservatory, worked for a law firm, immersed herself in activist causes and got married. She enrolled in BMCC in 2006.
“I couldn’t have wished for a better learning environment,” she said. “The faculty and staff were incredibly nurturing.”
While maintaining a 4.0 GPA, Woweries worked on BMCC’s student newspaper, founded Campus Animal Rights Educators (CARE), tutored at the college’s learning center and taught at the U.N. International School. Through her work, Woweries earned her way to Salzburg, Austria, to attend the Global Issues Seminar.
Before graduation, she was named the 2007 Valedictorian, and awarded the Vice President for Student Affairs Award, the Abner B. Rosenfield Scholarship, and the Ziska Stennett Reach Alumni Award. She’s now studying towards her Bachelor’s degree in political science at Hunter College, CUNY.
