Kenzie Allen has a penchant for history. And she’s making a bit of it herself.

The Central Arizona College student, nearing the completion of her first two years on the Maricopa campus, has secured a full-ride scholarship to finish her bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona University.

Allen, a Maricopa native and resident of The Villages at Rancho El Dorado, was named in March to the All-Arizona Academic Team, a program that selects two students from each Arizona community college campus based on merit.

The honor came with a full tuition waiver, covering up to 10 consecutive undergraduate semesters or 60 credits at one of Arizona’s three state universities: Arizona State University, the University of Arizona or NAU.

“It’s a scholarship for students at community colleges in Arizona,” Allen explained. “From there, it goes to the All-USA Academic Team Competition, where, on top of the full ride, you can get a stipend for books, fees — whatever you need.”

Allen didn’t stop there.

She also won a Coca-Cola Gold Scholarship, adding another $1,500 to her scholarship fund, plus a commemorative gold medallion. The Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team recognizes 50 Gold, 50 Silver and 50 Bronze Scholars nationwide, with scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $1,500.

Allen was selected for her “outstanding academic achievement, leadership and engagement in college and community service,” said Angela Askey, the Central Arizona College spokesperson.

Allen joins fellow CAC students in receiving these honors. Jasmine Martinez, also from the Maricopa campus, was named to the All-Arizona Academic Team. Martinez was not available for an interview.

“I am a nontraditional, first-generation college student,” said Martinez.

The mom of two has been trying for an associate’s degree since 2007.

“Life would pop up,” said Martinez. “I had to prioritize my home life.”

Martinez wasn’t planning for a bachelor’s degree. Now, this education major has her tuition and books paid for.

“This is life changing,” she said. “It allows me to finish something greater that I thought possible. It allows me to be the greatest teacher I can be.”

Statewide, some 60 students earned All-Arizona Academic Team honors, including CAC students Carina Tapia and Crystal Varney, who were recognized as Coca-Cola Bronze Scholars. Tapia will pursue a master’s in clinical social work, while Varney plans to complete a bachelor of science in nursing.

All four will be recognized at Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention, PTK Catalyst, in Kansas City, Mo., April 3-5. PTK is the official honor society of two-year community colleges and CAC’s chapter, the Alpha Theta Delta chapter, supports students in Pinal County and broader global causes.

“It’s honestly kind of complicated,” Allen admitted with a laugh, describing the process to earn her various accolades. “There are so many levels to it. But I’m grateful for all of it.”

Beyond grades, the accolades required a compelling application, recommendation letters and an essay that demonstrated leadership.

For Allen, that leadership came in the form of her work with Friends of the Maricopa Library, a nonprofit where she managed the Instagram account.

“I wrote about how I helped out there and how that’s had an impact in the community,” she said. “I even used data to back it up.”

Her experience at CAC played a crucial role in her success, said her mentors.

Thanks to the Pinal Promise, a program that allowed her to attend CAC debt-free, Allen was able to focus on her studies without financial stress. That, in turn, helped her maintain the high grades required for PTK, the international honor society through which she discovered these scholarship opportunities.

“Because of Pinal Promise, I had the opportunity to do well and actually apply for this scholarship,” she said.

Since 2001, the Pinal Promise program has been available to students who graduate from high schools in Pinal County. The tuition is paid by the college through public funds and through the CAC Foundation, the 501(c)(3) fundraising prong.

Allen, a self-styled history buff, will transfer to the NAU Honors College in August. Her ultimate goal? A Ph.D. in history, with a specialization in social history, studying the lived experiences of marginalized communities.

“I want to be a history professor,” she said. “I’d love to teach women’s history or anthropology.”

As she prepares for this next chapter, Allen said she is already making plans for her move to a college dorm.

“My birthday is coming up, and all I asked for was dorm decorations,” she said. “I can’t wait.”

For students hoping to follow in her footsteps, Allen has some advice:

“Start early,” she said. “Get more recommendation letters than you need—then you can pick the best ones. And work on something big in your community for at least a year. Leadership experience makes all the difference.”