On a campus with over 23,000 students, it's sometimes difficult to stand out in a crowd. But for Cerritos College sophomore basketball player Teresa Wang, the combination of her dedication to the team, as well as her cumulative 3.8 GPA helped earn her one of the college's 63 Academic Excellence Awards. She, along with the other recipients, were honored recently in a banquet.

"Receiving this award means a lot because it shows that my hard work is paying off and that I need to continue to work hard to achieve my goals," said Wang, who is a kinesiology major who plans to attend a Cal State school. She has already been accepted to both Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton.

As a member of the Falcons basketball team, Wang appeared in 25 games her sophomore season and averaged 2.4 points a game, which included a season-high 11 points in a win over Laney College. In that game, she also netted a trio of three-pointers. Wang also matched that three-point total in a win over Los Angeles Harbor College, as she finished with nine points.

Said head coach Trisha Raniewicz, "I couldn't be happier for all of Teresa's efforts in the classroom. They are a mirror image of how hard she worked every day in practice and at the games. A sharpshooter, there was no way a team could leave Teresa open from the 3-point line very long. She is a tireless worker, coachable and a great teammate. Although quiet, she is competitive by nature and her 3.8 cumulative GPA at Cerritos is a testament to the high standards she holds for herself."

In order for someone to be eligible to receive an Academic Excellence Award, they must meet certain qualifications. They must have completed a minimum of 30 units at Cerritos College with a 3.5 grade point average or higher; completed nine units in the area of recognition with a 3.5 grade point average or higher; enrolled in a minimum of two units during the fall semester; and receive a recommendation of a faculty member in the area of recognition.

The Academic Excellence Awards were created in 1981 to recognize the academic accomplishments of students in various departments throughout the college. The students who are recognized are the finest examples of how the college is fulfilling its mission of developing knowledgable, skillful and valuable participants in the global community.

Wang attributes her ability to manage the myriad of responsibilities during her time at Cerritos by prioritizing her day and making sure all of her assignments were turned in within a timely manner, while at the same time, dedicating herself to helping the Falcons basketball team excel. They finished the season with a 20-11 record and advanced to the Southern California Regional Playoffs her sophomore season after they posted an 18-13 season as a freshman and a post-season appearance.

First-year head coach Raniewicz added, "I was in attendance for the Academic Excellence Awards ceremony and it was an honor to have a women's basketball player represent our program in such a prestigious way. Teresa's ultimate goal is to become a physical therapist and that career fits her perfectly. I know wherever she chooses to do her undergraduate work, that institution will not only gain a fine student, but an even better person."