REACH Blog

Scholarship, Leadership, Service & Fellowship

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I AM PTK: Haley Hughes

Haley Hughes is often the only female student in her classes at State Technical College of Missouri. She is a student in the Precision Machining Technology Program, and she previously completed the Outdoor Power and Sports Technology Program (now Powersports Technology). “Being a girl is something that I hope will be more common in the…

New Initiative: When We All Vote

As Phi Theta Kappa members, we often stand out on our campuses as servant scholars and leaders who are plugged into our local communities. This shared sense of civic responsibility is why we are excited to announce a new partnership with When We All Vote, a non-partisan and non-profit organization aimed at registering as many…

Skills You Gain in the Five Star Advisor Plan

Advisors — have you checked out the Five Star Advisor Plan yet? Four levels are now available, and the fifth one will be released soon. This self-paced plan is for all advisors, regardless of how long you’ve served. It isn’t just “what an advisor does” — although that’s in there, too! This plan will teach…

I AM PTK: Kyleigh Kinsella

Kyleigh Kinsella walked into her first college classroom in August 2017 at age 16. She had completed homeschooling courses less than a month before and quickly fell in love with the challenges of college classes. Kyleigh began homeschooling when she was in ninth grade. Though she enjoys learning, she had become bored with school and…

4 Proven Recruitment Tips

The Alpha Sigma Zeta Chapter at Onondaga Community College (OCC) in New York has watched its member acceptance rate increase over the last few years. Chapter advisor Dr. Annie Tuttle attributes this to a few key things, including old-school, in-person communication. Below, she shares what’s working for her chapter. (Editor’s Note: The following was written…

Changing the College Transfer Game

Kathy Urban has been on both the sending and receiving sides of the transfer process — as a transfer counselor at a community college and as a non-traditional student program director at a four-year college. From both sides, it’s clear: completing a bachelor’s degree can be a long, hard road. “The majority of today’s undergraduates…

I AM PTK: Rahul Kane

Rahul Kane has the number “34” tattooed on his chest. It’s a reminder of the amount of money he had in his pocket the day he started working as a graduate teaching assistant at Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota in 2007. It was all he had left. He had come to the United States…

3 Ways You’ll Benefit from the Five Star Chapter Plan

The Upsilon Delta Chapter at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis had been a One Star Chapter for many years. It wasn’t inactive — the chapter consistently offered opportunities to members — but students often faced time constraints that prevented them from taking on larger tasks such as an Honors in Action Project. This changed…

9 Keys to a Strong Transfer Application

Editor’s Note: This post was written and submitted by Heather Yush, Phi Theta Kappa’s Associate Director of College and Transfer Relations. During PTK Catalyst 2018, we hosted a panel presentation featuring three transfer experts: Kathy Urban, Director of Undergraduate Programs, University of Pennsylvania College of Liberal & Professional Studies Emmett Ingram, Admissions Manager, Columbia University…

Reflecting on Honors Institute 2018

Editor’s Note: This post was written and submitted by Philippe Schicker, International Vice President for Division 4. Last week, Phi Theta Kappa held its annual Honors Institute for members across the country. This year, students got to enjoy general sessions, seminars, and the hunt for knowledge at the beautiful campus of Villanova University. The campus…

To Increase Membership, Communication Counts

During its spring conference, the Indiana Region celebrated a few milestones: At least six chapters increased membership by 5 percent or more, and more students completed Five Star Competitive Edge than in the previous seven years combined. We asked Regional Coordinator Dr. Leo Studach to tell us how the region achieved these highpoints. In both…

International Student Finds Family in PTK

Alessandra Chimienti always looked up to people who left their home countries to travel or live abroad and learn a new language, but she never thought she’d be one of them. She grew up in a small town in Puglia, in southern Italy. After earning the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in education with highest…