“Wait! Phi Theta Kappa is not a scam?” It seems as if every student that I stop always thinks our chapter is a scam, but I can confirm that it most definitely isn’t a scam.
This academic year, I served as the vice president of service and enjoyed my time in CLC’s chapter, Alpha Alpha Pi.
Phi Theta Kappa is an international honor society at community colleges. It not only helps students access a multitude of scholarships but also helps them find a sense of community.
When you become a member, you unlock many opportunities and benefits. There are PTK Edges that you can complete on such topics as the competitive module, which helps develop you professionally, as well as the transfer edge, the healthcare edge and many more. After you have completed the edges, they appear in your official transcript.
As the vice president of service, I was constantly coordinating volunteer opportunities to help our community. We often volunteer as a chapter at local nonprofit organizations.
There are also scholarships exclusively for Phi Theta Kappa members. Lake Forest College offers $30,000 just for being a Phi Theta Kappa member. Many other colleges and universities have scholarships for PTK members. PTK also has its own scholarships that members can apply for.
Take advantage of your PTK officer team to help with your applications. Each officer is required to have office hours.
Our officer team includes the president, the recording officer, and the vice presidents of fellowship, leadership, service, scholarship, and public relations.
Our vice president of scholarship is knowledgeable and always eager to help with the PTK scholarship application process. This year, one of our PTK members, Milagros Velez, was nominated for the All-American team and was recognized.
Year-round, the officer team works on two major projects: the College Project and the Honors in Action Project.
The College Project is meant to strengthen your chapter’s relationship with the college administration. Our chapter this year partnered with videographers to tape student testimonials for commencement.
As for the Honors in Action Project, an overarching theme and sub-themes coincide every year. This year’s overarching theme was play, and the subtheme that our chapter chose was nostalgia.
You must work together as a team and come up with a question based on the sub-theme. Then you must do thorough research that will eventually lead to an action that will help your community.
Our question asked whether engaging in recreational activities in an outdoor setting can evoke a sense of nostalgia in young adults and if the feelings of nostalgia can affect their overall mental well-being.
After months of research, we decided the best course of action was to throw a nostalgic fest. We had some hiccups along the way, but we managed to have a successful event.
On April 15, we held our Lancer Fest. We had outdoor activities that included water balloon fights, musical chairs, and tag. We also had inside activities that included face painting, a photo booth, a bake sale, a coloring station, a raffle, and much more.
Our officer team also attends the annual Illinois Regional Conference as well as the Catalyst Conference. This year for Catalyst we went to Florida – and got to go to Disney.
The Catalyst Conference gathers all the chapters in the nation and has an award ceremony. Many awards are distributed for honors in action projects, college projects, engagement and much more. We also vote for our new international officers for the following year.
As I look back, I wish I had known more about these amazing opportunities earlier. I encourage readers to get involved in your PTK chapter. Become an officer, a regional officer or even an international officer. Put yourself out there – and you will reap the rewards.
