Tag: PTK

PTK Collects Snacks for Military Units Overseas

April 27, 2022 | Campus News

The Chi Delta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at East Central College in Union collected snacks and donations to purchase items for U.S. troops serving overseas.

ECC students, employees and community members all generously chipped in to provide snacks, card games, word puzzles and more to the military members. United States. Packages will be sent to three different locations. The packages go to a unit, not just a troop.

“PTK is humbled to be part of this experience and proud of our ECC community for the support that it has shown for our troops,” said Sarah Mier, PTK Chapter president. “This is a small way we can say thank you for the sacrifice that they give for us.

“Thank you to all our service members and veterans,” she added.

In the photo commemorating the collection, PTK members and advisors wore “#22” shirts to raise awareness for veterans, Mier said.

“On average, 22 veterans a day sadly make the decision to take their own life,” Mier commented. “We are wearing these shirts to bring awareness to this devastating issue and let the veterans at ECC know that they are not alone, if they are struggling there is hope and help.”

Any veteran who is struggling can call the veterans crisis line at 800-273-8255 and press 1.

Learn more about PTK and to find contact information for advisors.

Students Inducted into Rolla PTK Chapter

December 1, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Eight students recently took part in a virtual induction ceremony to join the Beta Omicron Phi Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at East Central College in Rolla.

The keynote speaker for the event was Stevi Kay Berry, Missouri regional PTK officer and student at Ozarks Technical Community College, in Springfield, Mo.

The following students were inducted during the ceremony:

Adrienne Elizabeth McCane
Makayla J. Mullins
Mariah Mae Daniels
Mark Gibbs Trawick
Alexis Diana Bolich
Andrew Paul Shelton
Jessica Lynn Richardson
Andrea Abigail Hribar

After the ceremony, another member, Samantha Sophia Britton, joined the honor society.

PTK membership is by invitation only and students must have a 3.4 GPA as a full-time student for a semester to join. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.2 once they are inducted into the honor society.

Membership is open to all majors throughout the college, including anyone working toward a degree or certificate.

Those remaining who have been invited to join, but haven’t yet, can still do so through the end of the year.

Sheriffs office members and students with donation bags for unhoused people

ECC Honor Society Members Prepare and Donate Bags for Homeless People

December 1, 2021 | Campus News Inspiring Excellence

The Chi Delta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at East Central College helped bring comfort and warmth to people without housing in Franklin County.

The honor society chapter recently assembled bags filled with necessities, including toothbrushes, shaving cream, snacks, deodorant, gloves and socks. Other items for the bags are hand warmers, wash cloths, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, mints, dental floss, personal items for women and more.

There were 100 bags prepared and given to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office to be distributed to people without housing throughout the county. Any leftover bags not given to community members will be delivered to the Agape in St. Clair.

Most of the donated necessities were given to PTK by the United Bank of Union. The items were collected at the bank’s three branches in Union at the request of PTK member Rebecca Metcalf. Members of the honor society also donated items themselves.

Franklin County Sheriff Steve Pelton, Lt. Adam Albert and Lt. Mike de la Torre were on hand to accept the donated bags when officers from Chi Delta delivered them to the sheriff’s office Monday, Nov. 29.

The PTK project was part of the Honors in Action (HIA) program, which combines academic research, problem-solving and action-oriented service to address real-world challenges in communities.

During the HIA, students researched rural homelessness, and gained job-related experience while creating lasting impacts in the communities.

Union PTK Chapter Earns Multiple Awards

June 24, 2021 | Campus News

The Chi Delta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at East Central College in Union recently was recognized for individual accomplishments and the work of the chapter.

Each year the honor society chapter participates in regional and international programs related to research and service projects and then report on their work to the statewide organization, according to Kevin Dixon, PTK advisor of the Chi Delta Chapter.

Once the reports are submitted each year, they are judged by the PTK headquarters staff.

On June 14, PTK Missouri Regional Coordinators Jo and Steve Fritts presented the 2021 Missouri Regional Awards hardware to the award recipients in the Chi Delta Chapter.

Typically, an in-person awards ceremony is held in March to recognize the recipients.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was not an in-person ceremony this year, said Dr. Wendy Pecka, contact advisor for the Chi Delta Chapter.

“We are very proud of the hard work you put into these submissions,” she told the PTK members. “I only wish you all could have participated in the convention in person to understand how exciting it is for your work to be honored with these awards. Not every chapter gets to experience this.”

Chi Delta Awards

Listed below are awards the Chi Delta Chapter received:

Distinguished Chapter Award — one of six awards for Missouri.
Honors in Action Award — one of six awards for Missouri.
Honors in Action Distinguished Theme Award (theme of Perceptions of Progress) — one of three awards for Missouri.
College Project Award —one of six awards for Missouri.

Following are individual awards that members of the Chi Delta Chapter received:

Distinguished Chapter Officer – Lucille Vanek, chapter president — one of six awards for Missouri.
Distinguished Chapter Member – Sarah Murphy — one of two awards for Missouri.
Continued Excellence in Advising Award – Wendy Pecka —one of three given for Missouri.

Dixon explained that the Honors in Action projects involve scholarly research that lead to a service project for the community.

The Union chapter’s 2020 project was “Slicing the Stigma on Community College,” and the students prepared a PowerPoint that was sent to local high schools on the benefits of starting at a community college.

The College Project is focused on providing a service to the campus or college, and last year’s program began a project of revamping the look of trash receptacles on campus to make them more “visible” in hopes campus littering will decrease. That project will be continued into this fall, Dixon added.

PTK membership is by invitation only. Students must have a 3.4 GPA as a full-time student for a semester to join PTK. Once they are inducted into the honor society, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.2.

Membership is open to all majors throughout the college, including anyone working toward a degree or certificate.

Rolla PTK Chapter Project, Advisor Recognized

June 24, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

The Rolla Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) chapter, Beta Omicron Phi, recently was recognized by the state organization with awards presented annually to the honor societies.

The Rolla chapter received an Honors in Action Distinguished Theme Award, one of three awarded in the state. Honors in Action projects involve scholarly research that leads to a service project for the community.

PTK chapters take part in projects to benefit their community or campus, and then file a report with their state or regional PTL organization. The projects are then judged by the PTK headquarters staff.

On June 14, PTK Missouri Regional Coordinators Jo and Steve Fritts presented the 2021 Missouri Regional Awards hardware to the award recipients in the Beta Omicron Phi Chapter.

In addition to the Distinguished Theme Award, Beta Omicron Phi Chapter Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Winters-Rozema was the recipient of the Distinguished Advisor Award.

Advisors with four or more years of service are eligible for this award, which they can only receive one time.

Distinguished Theme Award

The Rolla chapter submitted under the theme Perceptions of Progress. The chapter’s project was titled “Pandemic’s Impact on Rural Area.”

The PTK members compiled national research on the impact of this virus on people experiencing homelessness.

According to the project summary, the chapter determined that disadvantaged people in the Rolla community are significantly impacted by COVID-19.

The project earned the chapter a PTK Honors in Action grant to directly help people experiencing homelessness and inspire future generations to serve the community.

Membership is open to all majors throughout the college, including anyone working toward a degree or certificate.

ECC Graduate Receives PTK Transfer Scholarship

June 3, 2021 | Campus News

East Central College Class of 2021 graduate Jenna Meintz recently was awarded the Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished Achievement Scholarship to attend Webster University.

Meintz, Steelville, will use the scholarship while working toward a bachelor’s degree at Webster.

She graduated from ECC with an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance. The PTK Distinguished Achievement Scholarship will pay the full amount of Meintz’s tuition during her time at Webster University.

This competitive scholarship is awarded to only two students who are transferring to Webster. To qualify, the students must be members of the PTK international honor society and have a grade point average of at least 3.5.

Meintz graduated from ECC with a 4.0 GPA, demonstrating the highest level of academic excellence.

In addition, she served as the Public Relations Officer for the Chi Delta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, as well as the President of Student Government Association at ECC.

Meintz also is employed full-time in a managerial role.

PTK Honor Society at ECC Inducts New Members

May 21, 2021 | Campus News

There were 52 new members inducted into the Chi Delta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at East Central College during the spring semester.

Membership is open to all majors throughout the college, including anyone working toward a degree or certificate.

ECC Campus Life and Leadership Coordinator Carson Mowery, the ECC Student Government Association advisor, was the guest speaker for the induction ceremony held April 27.

Mowery joined the PTK Beta Omicron Phi Chapter at ECC in Rolla during the Spring 2018 semester, and she served as the chapter’s public relations officer and chapter president before graduating.

She spoke about her experiences as a member and officer and encouraged the new members to become actively involved.

Listed below are the new members followed by their hometown:

Mercedes Angell, Owensville
Dora Bell, St. Clair
Angela Boerckel, St. Clair
Cheyanna Bowen, Union
Cade Brautigam, Washington
Heather Brinker, Marthasville
Nicole Brinker, Washington
Kevin Donovan, Union
Caroline Dunne, Union
Lindsey Feth, Union
Justin Gaffney, Washington
Katelyn Garrett, Washington
Emily Green, Union
Tawnya Halloran, Leslie
Isaac Henderson, Villa Ridge
Calvin Henry, St. Clair
Libby Hillermann, Washington
Collin Immekus, Sullivan
Jonathan Johns, Sullivan
Kylie Killbreath, Labadie
Johnathan Kindel, Sullivan
Haley King, Sullivan
Emma Likert, Cuba
Melissa Mayberry, Lonedell
Kristin Mercer, Sullivan
Sarah Mier, St. Clair
Kylee Mistler, Owensville
Emily Moody, Union
Gesi Muzhaqi, Washington
Deyinaira Nappier, Sullivan
Kathy Ogle, Marthasville
Lydia Otten, New Haven
Rachel Pelton, Union
Eliana Plumb, Hermann
Irina Pruteanu, St. Clair
Brooke Reynolds, Washington
Christopher Rice, Washington
Jack Roeback, Washington
Anna Schaible, Union
Sara Schaible, Union
Cohen Scheel, Washington
Karlie Schneider, Lonedell
Samantha Sikes, St. Clair
Jena Spreckelmeyer, Washington
Mary Stoll, Washington
Gabrielle Storll, Union
Zoe Strassner, Union
Amanda Todd, Washington
Mackenzie Townley, St. James
Ashley Tucker, Sullivan
Chloe Weiss, Washington
Robert Willis, New Haven.

ECC All-Missouri Academic Students to Be Recognized

April 20, 2021 | Campus News

Four East Central College students will be recognized Wednesday, April 21, for being named to the All-Missouri Academic Team.

Each year Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society, along with participating corporate partners, sponsors the Academic All-USA competition for students attending two-year colleges.

PTK ranks applicants nationally, then forwards results to the Missouri Community College Association (MCCA). The top 40 students statewide are then named Academic All-State award winners, with 10 first team, 10 second team, and 20 third team winners.

The students are:

Gabrielle Campbell – Academic All Missouri Second Team (Transfer pathway – nominated by ECC-Rolla).

Summer Thorp-Lancaster – Academic All Missouri second Team (Transfer pathway – nominated by ECC-Rolla).

Kaili Edler – Academic All Missouri Third Team (Transfer pathway – nominated by ECC-Union).

Jenna Meintz — Academic All Missouri Third Team (Transfer pathway – nominated by ECC-Union).

The students will be recognized during a virtual celebration.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, president and CEO, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. The event is sponsored by the University of Missouri.

Each of the students will receive a cash scholarship from MCCA along with a medallion and certificate honoring their academic achievement.

There are two “competition” levels, one for transfer-track students and one for students who are in workforce preparation programs (AAS and certificate-level programs). ECC is allowed to nominate up to two students for each pathway from both Union and Rolla.

To be eligible, students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and be on track to graduate or complete their programs by the end of the fall semester. Students also are required to submit a lengthy application that involves writing essays and getting letters of recommendation to support their applications.

Four Students Inducted in Rolla PTK Chapter

March 17, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

There were four members inducted into the Beta Omicron Phi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society Saturday, March 6.

PTK is an international honor society for two-year colleges. Members pursue activities that fall under the direction of the society’s hallmarks of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Fellowship.

To be eligible for induction, students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.4 for one semester and maintain a 3.2 GPA after their induction. Students can be pursuing any major, degree or certificate.

The inductees are Lauren Callison, Vienna; Mason Parks, St. James; Courtney Kelley, Rolla; and Hannah Kitson, Waynesville.

PTK Rolla advisor, Dr. Beth Winters-Rozema said Callison and Mason joined the PTK late last semester and took part in the March 6 induction ceremony.

The keynote speaker for the induction was Nikohl Watson-Lowe, PTK regional vice president for Missouri and vice president of communications for the Alpha Psi Tau chapter at Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC).

Watson-Lowe is a full-time student at OTC, who has just completed an Associates in Bioclinical Science degree. Watson-Lowe is currently working on an Associates in Automotive Technology.

PTK Chapters Recognized for Membership Rates

March 9, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

The Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) international honor society chapters at East Central College in Union and Rolla have been recognized for membership rates.

That’s according to Sarah Murphy, president of the PTK Chi Delta Chapter, Union, who said the chapters have been named to the REACH Rewards program for 2021.

“We have gotten a high percentage of member acceptance — even during a pandemic,” Murphy said.

REACH Rewards recognizes Phi Theta Kappa chapters that achieve or exceed a 15 percent membership acceptance rate. The Chi Delta Chapter has 20.8 percent acceptance rate.

The Beta Omicron Phi Chapter, located at ECC-Rolla, also has been named to the REACH Rewards program. Both chapters have been part of the program for multiple years.

“We have been a Reach chapter for every year the program has existed,” Murphy said, “and Beta Omicron Phi in Rolla has consistently been a REACH chapter.”

The Beta Omicron Phi Chapter has 24.7 percent acceptance rate.

“We had amazing participation from the moment we went virtual through the end of 2020.,” said Dr. Elizabeth Winters-Rozema, Beta Omicron Phi advisor. “We had more members join during the virtual portion of 2020 than we’d had for years.”

The 2021 REACH Chapters will be rewarded with free graduation stoles for their members.

PTK is the international honor society for two-year colleges. As a member of PTK, students will pursue the society’s hallmarks of Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Fellowship.

Students must have at least a 3.4 GPA and be a full-time student for one semester to be invited into PTK. After being inducted, students must maintain a 3.2 GPA.

Membership is open to students pursuing a degree or certificate, no matter the major.