"Bettering ourselves, our campus and the community"
This is how Jesse Dees, secretary of LLCC’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, describes the goals of the chapter.
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is the foremost honor society recognizing academic excellence in two-year college students. The chapter is open to full-time LLCC students who maintain a grade point average of 3.5 of above.
“I joined PTK because it looks good on a resume,” says Dees. "I also really wanted to participate in helping the community and to challenge myself with new experiences."
LLCC’s PTK chapter has a long history of involvement at the college and locally, and is recognized nationally as a Five Star Chapter, the highest distinction awarded.
“Our chapter has maintained Five Star status since 2013,” says Dr. Gillian Bauer, PTK advisor and professor of English. "As a Five Star Chapter, we're recognized for being an active chapter — holding events on campus and in the community, as well as actively recruiting members."
This is Dr. Bauer’s first year advising the chapter after the retirement of Dr. Claire Gordon, professor of communication, last spring.
“I’m excited to work with these students,” says Bauer. “We have a great group this year. They are motivated to make the chapter more visible."
To reach Five Star status, LLCC’s chapter must complete and report all activities included in each level of the Five Star Chapter Plan. For the fifth and highest level, there are three requirements: develop and Honors in Action Project, submit three entries to the Hallmark Awards Program and get involved at the international level.
“The Honors in Action Project is a research-driven project based on the current year's theme provided by Phi Theta Kappa," says Bauer. “This year’s theme is ‘the art and science of play.’ Students are working to research the theme and identify ways to apply the theme to an event that benefits or solves a problem within our community.
“While working on the project, students focus on conducting, documenting and reflecting on research."
For last year’s Honors in Action Project, PTK sponsored an organ donor registration event in conjunction with the Illinois Secretary of State's Life Goes On project. The event raised awareness for the importance of organ donation and included remarks from a family of an organ donor, a living organ donor and an organ recipient.
To meet the international involvement requirement, four officers attended PTK's Catalyst convention held in Denver this past April. LLCC's 2021-2022 officers received a distinguished chapter officer team award, which recognizes teamwork, leadership abilities, promotion of an Honors in Action Project and other engagement within PTK.
While this year’s college and community projects are in the works, PTK is staying busy with other activities on campus.
“We just redid the bulletin board on the second floor of Menard Hall," says Joey Gallo, the chapter's vice president for service. "On the board, we have the PTK Five Star Chapter Plan checklist so students and staff can see what we're doing and our progress to the Five Star level.
“We also have been trying to increase our visibility within the college and have been getting more involved with campus activities."
During Welcome Week for the fall semester, PTK co-sponsored Cookout with a Cop with the LLCC Police Department and Student Life. PTK members served burgers and hot dogs alongside police. A dunk tank and yard games made for a fun afternoon.
“I volunteered for a two-hour shift at the cookout but decided to stay for the full event because it was a fun experience meeting a bunch of people. I've enjoyed getting out of my comfort zone," says Dees.
The chapter, which has almost 200 members, is holding meetings in a larger location on campus and using the Canvas learning management system to streamline communication.
“A few members also redid our trophy case on the second floor of Menard to highlight recent awards. We hope more students become interested and participate in all we have to offer," says Bauer.
“I decided to get involved with PTK because of the scholarship opportunities," says Gallo. "But now I'm more involved as an officer and with events. It's a chance to grow as a leader and a scholar."
For the latest updates, follow LLCC's PTK chapter on Facebook (@llccptk) and Instagram (@ptk_aek).
Story published in the LLCC FORWARD magazine, October 2022.