People

This fall, Palm Beach State College Dr. Floyd F. Koch Honors College student Angelina Rappa will be among the few selected students to attend Cornell University, one of the most prestigious Ivy League universities in the United States.

She applied while attending Palm Beach State, which she believes was instrumental to her getting accepted.

“After high school, I was pretty unprepared for college,” said Rappa, who graduated from Ponte Vedra High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. “Having had this year at PBSC to build a resume, network and serve in various leadership positions really set me up for success.”

Rappa, who was pursuing an Associate in Arts degree at PBSC, was inspired to apply after talking to a friend who got accepted after high school. Before being selected, she had to write several essays which detailed her activities at PBSC as well as submit a portfolio. She applied as a fine arts major but also hopes to explore other fields there such as pre-med and public policy.

While at PBSC, Rappa served as the presidential coordinator of Phi Theta Kappa’s Delta Omicron chapter, the vice president of the Honors Student Advisory Council and the vice president of the Empowering Women of Tomorrow club.

“All of these incredible opportunities allowed me to meet inspirational individuals and learn that hard work and persistence draws results,” said Rappa, who chose to attend after moving to South Florida after high school. “PBSC seemed like the best choice and was the most affordable. Not only did I feel a lot of freedom to explore my interests, I also felt very supported when I needed it. The Honors College really helped me get involved and make new friends and so I will miss that when I’m gone.”

Rappa starts classes at Cornell on Aug. 21, 2023.