Arapahoe Community College Business Administration student Tammy Durnford, a former elementary school teacher with a master's degree, has been named a Wall Street Journal 2007 Student Achievement Award winner.

For nearly 60 years, this distinguished program has given colleges and universities from around the country an exclusive opportunity to recognize the performance of their most outstanding business students. Students are nominated by their schools, and are recognized among other things for academic achievement, leadership potential and/or entrepreneurial spirit.

Durnford, a mother of three, was nominated by the chair of ACC's Economics and Finance Program, Joan Anderssen. She is a first generation college student, meaning that she is the first in her immediate family to pursue higher education.

"I am very honored to be recognized for my academic achievement and my community involvement by the Wall Street Journal," commented Durnford. The instructors at Arapahoe Community College are excellent and they have afforded me the opportunity to be successful." She adds, "I have truly enjoyed the educational experience I have had at ACC and I have learned an incredible amount of new and relevant information about business."

"I am thrilled Tammy was selected for this honor. It is testament to her excellence as a student and the quality our college and this program," said Anderssen. "Tammy is a fine representative of the seventeen percent of our student body that turns to us for their life-long learning needs after already earning a graduate school degree," said ACC President Dr. Bert Glandon. On May 4, Glandon and Anderssen presented Durnford with a plaque showing her as the first recipient of the award the college plans to seek for additional outstanding students in years to come.

Durnford, has a grade point average of 4.0 and expects to graduate from ACC in December with a degree in Business Administration with a Financial Services Certificate. She is a member of ACC's Sigma Phi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and she is an instructor for Junior Achievement. Her coursework has included: Accounting, Finance, Investments, Business Statistics, Management and Marketing.

After receiving her associate degree, Durnford plans to integrate her new knowledge with her teaching experience and University of Colorado Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction and design a system to teach young children financial literacy.

The Educational Service Bureau of Dow Jones developed the Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award program in 1948. The award recipient receives an engraved paperweight and a one-year subscription to the Wall Street Journal. For more information on ACC's Economics and Finance program go to www.arapahoe.edu/deptprgrms/eco/.

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