KC PTK chapter receives awards at regional convention

Several members of the Alpha Ro Eta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Kishwaukee College attended the Illinois Regional Convention June 3 through 5 at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights. The Kishwaukee chapter brought home several awards from the event.

Attending the convention were Allison Kozinski, DeKalb; Chelsea Erickson, Rochelle; Hailey Hopkins, Rochelle; Gabbie Cultra, Earlville; Justin Otte, Genoa; Mahali Granados, Oregon; and JaShawna Robinson, DeKalb. Accompanying the students were chapter advisers Laura Chiavini, Allison Von Ende and Amanda Poturalski.

The Kishwaukee College chapter was recognized with several awards: Five-Star Chapter (highest level possible); 2016 Outstanding Chapter; 2016 College Project; 2016 Honors In Action; 2016 Outstanding Officer Team; and Appreciation of Outstanding Effort Contributing to Phi Theta Kappa Growth.

In addition, several individual members also were recognized: Ian Kidd, Sycamore, received the Phi Theta Kappa Spirit Award and Outstanding Chapter Officer Award; Janini Avalos, DeKalb, received the Outstanding Chapter Member Award; Allison Kozinski received the Outstanding Leadership Award; and Chelsea Erickson received the 2016 Chapter Officer Hall of Honor Award.

The chapter was recognized in April at the Phi Theta Kappa International Convention held in Maryland as a Top 100 Chapter. Alpha Rho Eta was one of only two colleges from Illinois to be recognized as a Top 100 Chapter out of the nearly 1,300 chapters around the world.

The 2016 Illinois Regional Convention was co-hosted by Alpha Rho Eta and Nu Sigma, the Phi Theta Kappa chapter at Prairie State College. Kishwaukee College students assisted with registration and introduced convention sponsors as well as provided the design and printing of convention programs.

Alpha Rho Eta members Chelsea Erickson, Hailey Hopkins and Allison Kozinski also presented at the convention on “College Project: Fun On Purpose” which detailed the chapter’s year-long project to provide fun and engaging activities to increase student engagement on campus.

Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, is the largest honor society in higher education. Founded in 1918, there are nearly 1,300 Phi Theta Kappa chapters on college campuses in all 50 of the United States, Canada, and other countries around the world. The society offers opportunities for scholarships, intellectual enrichment, and personal development through programs based on the society’s hallmarks of scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship.

For membership, a student must complete a minimum of 12 hours of college level course work and earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on 4.0 scale. Students must maintain a high academic standing throughout enrollment in the two-year college.

For information on Phi Theta Kappa, visit www.ptk.org; for information on the Alpha Rho Eta chapter at Kishwaukee College, contact Allison Von Ende at 815-825-9527 or Allison.vonende@kishwaukeecollege.edu.