Each year five students are elected to serve as international officers during the Society's Annual Convention. View 2013 election results
By the terms of the Society's Constitution, International Officers are elected by the delegate body at each year's
Annual Convention, and serve one-year terms. One international officer is elected to a one-year term to the Board of
Directors. Holding International Office is considered the highest pinnacle of leadership within Phi Theta Kappa, and
the campaigning experience for International Office has also been called a broadening and learning experience.
The International President may be a member of any active chapter. The duties of the International President include
presiding at the Annual Convention and Honors Institute, making Annual Convention committee appointments, signing
all new chapter charters and representing Phi Theta Kappa at regional meetings and educational conferences.
The International Vice Presidents maintain regular correspondence with chapters in their respective divisions,
represent the Society at regional meetings and educational conferences, and preside at the Annual Convention and
Honors Institute.
Biography of Daniel Chitty
International President
Daniel Chitty, International President, is a member of the Alpha Gamma Pi Chapter from Austin Community College in Austin, Texas.
Daniel is a pre-dental major who hopes to attend the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio to pursue a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. His goal is to one day have his own dental practice.
Daniel first attended a community college then a four-year university when he was younger but was not quite ready to commit to his education. When he decided to return to college, he again chose a community college, which he said has helped build confidence in his ability to succeed.
Since joining Phi Theta Kappa, he has served as both a chapter and regional officer.
Daniel believes that one challenge facing current community college students is the stigma attached to attending a community college, such as these students aren’t intellectual enough to go straight to a four-year university after high school.
“Many people seem to believe that the community college is inferior to other schools in many ways,” he said. “Of course, with the economic climate as it is, more people than ever are going to the community college for their educational needs, and this same stigma is slowly being eroded.”
Daniel comes from a military family; his mother is a Desert Storm veteran. His parents live in Florida, and his brother and sisters live in Colorado, so it’s no surprise that traveling is one of his interests. He also enjoys music, theater and studying history, philosophy, world religions, linguistics and ancient cultures.
Biography of Jesus Garcia
International Vice President, Division I
Jesus Garcia, District I International Vice President, is a member of the Alpha Theta Theta Chapter from Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey.
Jesus is a Mechanical Engineering major who plans to work in the robotics field. He hopes to move to South Korea or Japan to work in Kawada Industries, one of the fastest-growing mechanical and robotics engineering companies. While still in high school, he placed first in the RoboCupJunior Robotics Competition in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Attending the local community college was pretty much the only option for Jesus, so he was determined to make the most of his academic career. He began volunteering with his Phi Theta Kappa chapter before starting college; and he is active with the Honors Program, having received the Excellence Award and multiple scholarships. He has also served as the New Jersey State President for the Middle States Region.
Jesus sees complacency as one of the biggest threats to community college students today, saying that many students seem content to just “not fail.” He also worries that the rising cost of higher education will lead an academic degree to become more of a privilege than a right.
“Being complacent to mediocre academic achievements should not be the mentality that our students have,” he said. “They should all want to be the best that they can be.”
Jesus is also active with his campus’ Student Government and Rotaract Club. He loves to read, and he is working to become more involved in art by learning how to sketch and use Photoshop. He also cares for his younger sister and brother.
Biography of Toni Marek
International Vice President, Division II
Toni Marek, Division II International Vice President, is a member of the Zeta Gamma Chapter from Victoria College in Victoria, Texas.
Toni plans to major in Public Relations, Communications or Marketing upon her transfer to a four-year college. She hopes her experience in organizing events for her community and in media and public relations combined with a degree in marketing will help her gain a position with a public relations firm.
Attending a community college — or any college, for that matter — was not on Toni’s to-do list. She instead graduated high school and entered the Army Reserve, receiving an honorable discharge in 2006. Five years, two kids and a failed marriage later, she found she could no longer compete in the current economy with only a high school diploma. Victoria College was her answer.
She has become active on campus, having served as both the Vice President of Scholarship and the President of her Phi Theta Kappa chapter. She has received several scholarships from her college, she was named a member of the Texas District V Hall of Honor in 2013, and her sons honor her every year as the Most Awesome Mom Ever.
“At any given moment, I am expected to switch hats from student, to mom, to advisor, to chef, to chauffer, to counselor, to sister, to best friend, to employee, to confidant, back to student for seven minutes and once again, mom,” she said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world, and I have become quite the domestic engineer.”
Given her own experiences, Toni believes the challenges community college students are facing are often underestimated, as they are usually balancing more than just classes and studying. Despite their busy schedules, she urges students to be aware of who their state legislators are, so they can stay informed about the decisions being made that will affect their future.
Biography of Rachel Reeck
International Vice President, Division III
Rachel Reeck, Division III International Vice President, is a member of the Beta Nu Chi Chapter from Western Technical College in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Rachel is a Nursing major. She plans to receive a Master of Science in Nursing and then wants to specialize in areas such as nurse practitioner and nursing leadership and management. She would like to gain experience working in a hospital setting then travel to rural areas where resources are hard to find. She also hopes to start an organization that helps patients cope with cancer.
Rachel accepted the invitation of membership in Phi Theta Kappa to build on her foundation of leadership. She has been active in the chapter, serving as a chapter officer and being recognized as a Distinguished Chapter Officer in 2012. She received a Vocal Fine Arts Scholarship, and she was named the 2008-2009 Wisconsin Cranberry Queen and the 2011 Monroe County Honey Queen.
Rachel’s first job was raising sweet Spanish onions for a local farmer’s market, which led her to become a tour guide at the Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center. She and her parents renovated a farmhouse that had been in their family for generations and converted it into a Bed and Breakfast. Her hobbies include cooking, playing the piano, photography, biking and hiking.
She also works as a Certified Nursing Assistant at a long-term care facility and is an Anatomy and Physiology instructor at Western Technical College.
“Commitment is the most important issue facing community college students today,” Rachel said. “Each student has a unique story and personal battles he or she must fight every day.”
Biography of Kaitlyn Worman
International Vice President, Division IV
Kaitlyn Worman, Division IV International Vice President, is a member of the Sigma Zeta Chapter from Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon.
Kaitlyn is a pre-medical and psychology major to plans to receive a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and then go to medical school. Her dream is to attend Johns Hopkins University and enter the field of Pediatrics, and then work with uninsured and underprivileged youth on both a community and global level.
Kaitlyn accepted the invitation of membership in Phi Theta Kappa after much insistence from her sister, who had also been an active member. Since becoming a member, she has served as Vice President of Fellowship and Leadership for her chapter and the Western District Executive Officer for the Rocky-Mountain Cascade Region.
“Completion depends upon many factors, but support through fellowship, additional leadership training and other opportunities to involved students in their educational experiences increases the likelihood that a student will stick with school,” she said. “I know it was these things — all of which I got through Phi Theta Kappa — that kept me in college, and they’re the main reasons for the success I’ve experienced while being here.”
Kaitlyn is passionate about animal welfare — she even traveled to Joplin, Missouri, to assist as a disaster relief first responder with the ASPCA after a devastating tornado there — and works part time at Greenhill Human Society. She also has a passion for the arts, having participated in local theater for years.
She loves writing and was a member of the Editorial Board for the Denali Literary Magazine, a student-run publication at her college. She has also received numerous writing awards, including being named a semifinalist for the 2012 Norman Mailer National Award for Community College Fiction Writing and placing second in the 2011 Lane League for Innovation Literary Contest. Kaitlyn also enjoys painting, sculpting, photography, dance and being outdoors.
