JACKSON, Miss. - Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) is recognizing 1,081 chapters for their efforts to bring the life-changing benefits and opportunities of PTK membership to even more students on their campuses in 2020.
The recognition is part of PTK’s REACH Rewards program, which celebrates and rewards Phi Theta Kappa chapters excelling in membership development. More than 112,500 students across the world became PTK members in 2020.
Since the installation of the Tau Chi PTK chapter at Northeast Community College in 1996, approximately 3,200 Northeast students have been inducted into the international academic honor society for two-year colleges. For over 100 years, membership in Phi Theta Kappa has signified a singular honor and a willingness to embrace the Society’s shared commitment to academic excellence.
“Being a REACH chapter is more important this year than ever before as Phi Theta Kappa worked to support community college students in completely unfamiliar circumstances,” said PTK president and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner. “Racial and political unrest and a global pandemic made 2020 the most challenging year in recent history - one that our students, chapters, and partner colleges worked exceptionally hard to overcome. Although this is a chapter award, it demonstrates that students are more focused on their futures than ever before, and their colleges are providing the opportunities to get them there - even amid a global pandemic.”
A full 91 percent of Phi Theta Kappa members will complete an associate degree or transfer to a four-year college, compared to 38 percent of students nationally. Members have access to $48 million in scholarships - $1 million in competitive scholarships through the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and more than $46 million in transfer scholarships to over 850 four-year colleges. They can search for these scholarships and others, as well as transfer-friendly institutions and career pathways, on PTK Connect™.
Through exclusive PTK EDGE™ curricula, members learn how to navigate the often-tricky transfer process, build essential soft skills, and develop expertise to help them find employment. Members also have free access to PTK’s custom leadership program, which uses open sources to guide the development of personal leadership philosophies.
“When students get engaged in campus programming, explore leadership opportunities, and utilize personal development resources developed by PTK, real transformation happens,” said Christin Grissom, PTK’s vice president of Scholarship and Membership. “We couldn’t be prouder of our REACH Chapters for their efforts to encourage PTK membership acceptance despite challenges presented by the pandemic and unlock limitless opportunities that PTK membership provides for deserving students.”
The 2021 REACH Chapters, including Tau Chi, will be rewarded with free graduation stoles for over 5,600 members.
To be eligible for induction into PTK, students must have earned at least 12 credit hours and achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.5 or above out of a 4.0 system.
Candice Parra, Norfolk, serves as president of the PTK Tau Chi chapter at Northeast, Madeline O’Brien, Norfolk, is vice president of leadership, Morgan Eickmeier, Bellwood, is vice president of scholarship, Hannah Stahl, Potter, serves as vice president of service, and Kaitlyn Grissom, Norfolk, is secretary.
Northeast Phi Theta Kappa sponsors are Colleen Barnes, criminal justice/sociology instructor, and Andrea Suhr, physical therapist assistant instructor. Bellevue University serves as Tau Chi chapter sponsor.
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