Dear PTK members,
A new program is looking for Peer mentors. If you fit the criteria and
are interested, please contact Dr. Payal Doctor
(pdoctor@lagcc.cuny.edu).
CREAR Futuros, which means “To Create Futures” in Spanish is a pilot
retention program we will initiate at LaGuardia Community College in
Fall 2013 supported in part by the Lumina Foundation. CREAR (College
Readiness, Achievement and Retention) activities will center on Latino
Student Success intervention strategies.
CREAR Peer Mentors – High performing upper class men and women will be
trained to mentor entering Latino freshmen as part of the pilot CREAR
Futuros Scholars Program. Prospective peer mentors will be required to
be: a) working towards a degree at LaGuardia, b) enrolled full-time (at
least 12 credits) in the current semester and plan to enroll full-time
next semester, c) have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2, d) have earned
at least 24 college credits and e) have addressed any remedial needs by
fall of 2013, f) fill out an application form, and g) pass an interview.
Cultural and language competency will be a vital aspect of
mentor-mentee pairings.
All CREAR Peer Mentors will complete a Leadership Training and
Development course in order to understand their role as a mentor as well
as college transition challenges. They will have 20 students to engage
in person or electronically during the course of the year. The student’s
weekly time commitment is 15 hours for which they will receive a monthly
stipend.
Thank You!
Friday, May 17, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Unforgettable
By Desiree Rivera
Attending the 95th
Annual International PTK Convention has by far been the most rewarding
experience as a member of the Alpha Theta Phi chapter. The International Convention is an experience
that cannot truly be explained or understood until one experiences it for their
self. There are more opportunities
available to students than they will ever be able to imagine prior to their
arrival at the convention. First and
foremost, there is an opportunity to bond with other members and advisors
within individual chapters. This bonding allowed for everyone to get to know
one another on a more personal level. We
gained a deeper understanding of each other not only as Phi Theta Kappans, but
also as individuals that contribute to our collective chapter dynamic.
Networking is another key
element of the convention and the opportunities to connect with fellow PTK
scholars and professionals are endless.
Aside from its exciting social aspects the convention is designed to
empower Phi Theta Kappans through the
words of keynote speakers during general sessions and presenters of educational
forums. Students are encouraged to
attend as many educational forums as possible, which are implemented to provide
students with useful tools and tips that can be used in future endeavors. In order to gain the most out of the forums,
students are given the freedom to choose to attend the forums that they find
most interesting. In doing so, Phi Theta
Kappans can take their newfound knowledge and practically apply it in their
lives.
The overall experience of the
International Convention is not solely based around socializing and learning.
Students are given exposure to travel and are given the chance to explore
cities that they most likely have never been before. This year’s convention was held in beautiful
San Jose, California. From the tall palm
trees, to the warm sunny days, and cool evenings, every minute spent in this
city was enjoyable. Exploring the
streets of downtown San Jose leaves much to be desired for students who wish to
travel the world. It is through travel
that we are able to make to connections to the cultures and ways of life of
others, creating more knowledgeable and well-rounded individuals. Attending the convention in San Jose was an
epic experience that will certainly never be forgotten.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Phi Theta Kappa - An Experience Like No Other!
By Ange Akproh
During the weekend of
April 4-7, 2013, my chapter Alpha Theta Phi had the honor of participating to
the international conference of Phi Theta Kappa, which was held in San Jose California.
I, in addition to five of members of our
chapter had the opportunity to attend this conference to and have a personal
feel of what it is to be a part of this amazing experience. Also, one of our
remarkable members was selected to join us on this trip, which was supervised
by our chapter advisor, Dr. Doctor.
My personal experience during this
conference was more than what I expected. Unlike the Regional Conference, which
I also had the opportunity to attend, the international conference hosted more
than 300 chapters coming from every state the United States in addition to
several chapters coming from outside countries such as Germany. The conference was very well organized in a
very striking way that created a learning environment which provided the
attendees with an amazing experience that they will never forget.
During the conference, I attended
several workshops that taught me many tips on how to be an accomplished leader.
The workshop that most impacted me was the one about college applications and
how it relates to success in life. During this workshop, the panel of several
Phi Theta Kappa members who shared their personal experience while transferring
from their community college into a top four-year institution. Many of them did
not know what their lives would be like when they started attending college.
Mostly because of financial issues they were facing in their families, they had
no other choice but to attend community colleges. Even though they were all
brilliant scholars, many limitations stopped them from realizing their dreams
to attend Ivy League schools. They went through their community college years
without hopes of ever having their story told as “overachievers”. Then came the
time they had to transition into four-year schools. The thought of the
application process was scary to most of them because of their financial
boundaries. Motivated by other advisors and professors, they decided to still
postulate for the top schools and eventually got accepted at schools such as
Cornell University, Stanford University, and New York University. The secret
they said, was to “tell your story”. Among all applicants, they were the ones
that got accepted because they were able to convey their message to the
admission officers at those schools. They impacted each reader by sharing their
limitations, their aspirations, and their life as a whole. “It is not about
telling the decision makers what they want to know, but what you want them to
know that is special about you”. For some, this could mean sharing their family
issues, their financial difficulties, or the lessons they learnt in life for
others. But no matter what it is, that’s what would favor an acceptance into
your dream school, grant you a scholarship, or even a job because it would be a description of who you are.
Work Hard, In PTK We Celebrate Harder!
By Moreen Tonny
San Jose, California! One of the most exciting
cities in the United States. We often associate California to the great city of
Los Angeles, San Francisco, the famous Silicon Valley, nice beaches, lot of fun
and unforgettable memories. Did I mention celebrities??? Of course, there are a
lot of celebrities to meet and countless things to do and places to visit! Well
I did not go to L.A. nor visited sunny beaches but I was in the gorgeous San
Jose Convention Center for PTK 95th annual convention. If you wonder
whether we know how to celebrate as Phi Theta Kappans, this was the
confirmation. PTK 95th annual convention was a BLAST!!!
Students from all over the US and other countries
represented their states, regions and chapters in San Jose this year. From
April 3rd through April 7th I witnessed the greatness of
PTK as a leading honor society in higher education internationally. I took
enormous pride in seeing how grandiosely the organization celebrated its
members’ achievement.
As an active member and officer I knew the benefits
of joining PTK but I had never imagined experiencing what I did with PTK in San
Jose that weekend. Every corner of the convention center was an opportunity to
start exciting conversations either about our honors topics or just a quick
chat about our hometowns. Day and night the intersection between South Market
street and San Carlos street was just like Time Square here in NYC; excited and
joyful young people were constantly walking in large or small group. The
convention t-shirts were worn by almost every participant making the
surrounding area feels like ours!
If there is something that thrilled me to the point
of giving me goose bumps was the energy and effort putting into making the
event unique. From the parade of flags of every territory where PTK has
chapters, to the inspirational speeches delivered by each guest and not to
forget the decorations, I enjoyed every bit of my membership in PTK.
I know I mentioned celebrities… and guess who was
there? People whose work and determination have totally change how us -human
beings from both genders- view competition. Their work and contribution to our
culture were, just like our achievements, were acclaimed. Billy Jean Kings and Geoffrey
Colvin shared with the participants what it really takes to be very competitive
in this world, and ultimately what being competitive really encompasses. Billy
Jean Kings was a pioneer in paving the way for women in the sports arena.
Although women had the talent, the inequalities were so overwhelming that
making it to the top like men was not even conceivable. On the other hand listening to Geoffrey
Colvin talking about how talent is too often overrated in competitive game was
an interesting way to approach the debate around our Honor In Action project The Culture of Competition.
I could go on with the list of fun things and
unforgettable memories that I brought back with me to New York but I believe
that no words can say or would be enough to express what I experienced during
PTK’s 95th annual conference. I personally urge every member to be
involved as such as they can and to take advantage of every single tool and
resources PTK offers. They are for us to succeed and to give the organization a
reason to celebrate! As they usually “hard work always pays off”. I say PTK
MEMBERS WORK HARD YET CELEBRATE HARDER!!!
Experience Of a Lifetime
By Hassaan Chaudhary
As a Community College student, I feel
privileged and honored to attend 2013 PTK International Convention where I got
the opportunity to represent my college along with my other five members. The
event was held at San Jose, California from April 3-7, 2013. Phi Theta Kappa
organizes such beautiful occasions to honor students’ hard work and dedication
they have displayed throughout the year on their campuses. This particular
conference was on a large-scale as compared to the other two PTK events
(Leadership and Regional). Our odyssey to the convention was a hectic one as we
had to travel several miles from New York City to San Jose via plane. But the
journey went smoothly and serenely and we reached to our destination point
without any hassle.
On the very first day of the event, I
met with a lot of people and talked to them about PTK and other things. I also
attended numerous educational sessions where I got this golden and rare
opportunity to learn about different topics (starting from tolerance, civility
to team-building). I was quite ebullient when I heard about these sessions. I
always wanted to participate in such candid discussions and conversations. On
the other hand, I received a big surprise when I entered into the main hall to
attend our first General Session of the event. I was just flabbergasted to see
the size of the crowd and the magnitude of the event. That’s where I like PTK
the most. It provides you with those moments you have never experienced in your
whole life. It provides you with those networking and leadership opportunities
one can hardly get in a four-year institution. Anyway, without wasting any
time, I started to chat with different PTK members. I wanted to know about
their perspective on this event. Almost everyone was excited and elated. The
same cycle repeats for two days. In the morning, I used to attend the
educational forums while in the evening, we all (as a group) had to participate
in General Sessions. More than 1,300 Phi Theta Kappa Chapters and 4,000 members
have participated in the event.
The most satisfying moment was when our
fellow Laguardia members Svetlana and Moreen won the awards of ‘Most
Distinguished Member’ and ‘Most Distinguished Officer’ respectively. They
really deserved each accolade. Both these shining PTK members were nominated
for the awards and achieved them during the Hallmark Ceremony. Unlike in
Regional Conference, we did not receive more awards. However, it was expected
as the competition was tough. Towards the end, a dance party was organized for
all of the participants to enjoy the moment. Many students decided to take part
in it. I could hardly dance. So, I humbly declined the request (of my friends)
to dance with them. We were scheduled to leave from San Jose on April 7th. We
were exhausted and it was visible from our faces. However, it was an experience
I could never forget. The convention definitely outnumbered our expectations.
We thoroughly enjoyed it. I really would like to thank Phi Theta Kappa for
giving me this wonderful opportunity. I strongly urge all my PTK members to
actively participate in our meetings and get a unique chance to visit to the
PTK International Convention.
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About Me
- Barbaric Yawp PTK
- Long Island City, New York
- Honors Society Journal ptkbyawp@gmail.com - - - - - - -