Five PBSC students named to 2025 All-Florida Academic Team

The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) has named five Palm Beach State College students to the 2025 All-Florida Academic Team, a prestigious recognition awarded to top scholars in the Florida College System. 

Each year, the FLDOE, in partnership with Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year colleges, selects students for the All-Florida Academic Team to recognize academic excellence, leadership and community engagement. Honorees are often eligible for competitive transfer scholarships.

All five PBSC honorees are active PTK members and were nominated by their campus advisors for their commitment to PTK’s four hallmarks: scholarship, leadership, fellowship and service.

The PBSC honorees are Summer Pruiksma, Ashley Jean, Arshia Prem, Martha Ruiz Jimenez and Milena Martirosian.

Summer Pruiksma, from the Boca Raton campus, served as secretary and public relations officer for the Alpha Delta Iota chapter in 2024. As a chapter officer, she created engaging activities to foster fellowship and actively promoted meetings and events to fellow students. Her leadership and dedication made her a role model for her peers and a shining example of PTK values.

Ashley Jean, also from the Boca Raton campus, was a committed member of the Alpha Delta Iota chapter from 2023 to 2024. Her enthusiasm for PTK and PBSC was evident through her consistent participation in chapter meetings and her volunteerism on campus and in the community. Jean recently completed her Associate in Arts degree in fall 2024.

Arshia Prem and Martha Ruiz Jimenez, both from the Lake Worth campus, played instrumental leadership roles in the Delta Omicron chapter. Prem served as vice president of scholarship, and Ruiz Jimenez as vice president of public relations in 2024. They made significant contributions to the chapter’s Honors in Action project focused on suicide prevention and led the Gift of Life initiative, which collected DNA samples at campus events to support blood cancer research. Both students graduated with a 4.0 GPA in fall 2024 and transferred to Florida Atlantic University’s Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College.

"I’m really honored to receive this recognition,” Prem said. “My time at PBSC has helped me grow so much, and I’ve been lucky to have supportive mentors, advisors and friends cheering me on along the way."

Milena Martirosian, representing the Palm Beach Gardens campus, is a dedicated member of the Alpha Gamma Sigma chapter and is currently completing her Associate in Arts degree with a major in computer science. Known for her academic focus and involvement in PTK activities, Martirosian exemplifies the next generation of STEM professionals. “These five students represent the academic excellence and leadership that we strive to cultivate at Palm Beach State College,” said Daniel Alvarez, PTK advisor of the Delta Omicron chapter at PBSC. “We are proud of their achievements. Their success shows the strength of our student community and how much of a difference PTK can make in shaping academic and personal growth.”