Honor Society earns 5star status
GHC Honors Society Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa earns 5-star status
By Jessica Fisher, Vice President of Public Relations, Alpha Psi Omicron
Alpha Psi Omicron (APO), the Georgia Highlands College chapter of the international honors society Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), has had a wonderful academic year.
PTK Alpha Psi Omicron chapter has achieved the highest honor a chapter can – reaching 5-star chapter status. Reaching 5-star status involves an active chapter participating in new member induction ceremonies, two regional conferences and one international conference, completion of a year long research and service project, a college based project, as well as various service, leadership, and fellowship activities and events throughout the year (such as the annual Angel Tree Collections on each campus and the upcoming Chili Cook-Off and Car Show on the Cartersville Campus).
Alpha Psi Omicron chose to complete the “Commit to Complete” Banner signing on each campus encouraging students to sign it as a symbol of their commitment to complete their two-year degree this past Spring, and to begin a college project to help serve non-traditional students with computer and online skills called T.A.C.K.L.E. this past Fall.
PTK brought recognition to GHC not only when the APO chapter was elected as the Vice Presidential chapter for the entire Georgia Region of Phi Theta Kappa, but also when, as part of that position, Alpha Psi Omicron hosted the Fall Regional Conference here at Georgia Highlands College in the new Cartersville Student Center. At the recent Spring Regional Conference held at South Georgia State College in Douglas, Georgia the beginning of March, the PTK chapter was once again elected to the office of Regional Chapter Relations. With this honor, the APO chapter won a scholarship to the PTK Honors Institute being held at Washington University this summer.
PTK’s individual members shine as well. APO members are routinely recognized as part of the All-Georgia Academic Team each year and last spring Amelia Bagwell was also honored as the 2013 Coca-Cola Bronze Scholar. Members Justin Deal and Amelia Bagwell have additionally earned the highly coveted Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Award as well as also completing the PTK Cohort 13 Leadership Development Study. This Fall Justin Deal, Daniel Johnson, Deborah Edwards, and Ryan Feury were selected as part of the All-Georgia Academic Team for GHC and will be honored at an upcoming awards luncheon the end of March with the hopes that one will win the coveted gold, silver, or bronze scholar award.
At the most recent PTK Spring Regional Conference, Alpha Psi Omicron was not only elected for the office of Regional Chapter Relations and but also won several prestigious regional honors. APO won the Distinguished Honors in Action Award for our topic issue, Amelia Bagwell won both the Distinguished Officer Award and the Sarah Anne Staples Award, and Lead Advisor Dr. Karen Huggin was recognized as one of the top two advisers in the region – winning the Horizon Award. APO is also in consideration for international awards – the winners of which will be announced at the International Phi Theta Kappa conference in Orlando, Florida in April.
The successes of Alpha Psi Omicron are many and varied – not measured just in awards, scholarships and other accolades, but measured equally, if not more, in the sense of fellowship that being a member of APO can bring to a person – and the sense of community that members espouse in helping their fellow students, their instructors and their community.