By Annalise Smith, International President of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society PTK Catalyst is Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention. Catalyst features guest speakers, the Hallmark Awards, educational forums, college fairs, and more. Catalyst is an eye-opening experience. Per its name, it is intended to be a catalyst for PTK members, inspiring them to innovate, discover…
Members of the Perimeter College at Georgia State University team that won the 2024 Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) say the academic competition transformed them into entrepreneurs. More than the top prize, they say that the praise they received during CCIC’s Innovation Boot Camp for their concept of a self-administered cervical cancer test, the encouragement…
Actor and television host Steve Burns is taking the stage at PTK Catalyst 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. Steve is the original host for the long-running children’s preschool television program Blue’s Clues, which aired from 1996 until 2002. On the show, Steve, equipped with his handy dandy notebook and thinking chair, worked with his puppy…
Dr. Linda Garcia, Executive Director at the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE), has been named an International Honorary member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK). This recognition is considered PTK’s highest honor for a non-member. The award is not given every year, but only when the Society identifies an individual has provided extraordinary…
Niagara University in New York has established a new $24,000 PTK merit scholarship for all Phi Theta Kappa members who show proof of membership. The scholarship is stackable and renewable and will be available starting in Fall 2025. The university is a private Catholic college located in Lewiston, New York near Niagara Falls. Niagara University…
Broadway star, Miguel Cervantes, is taking the stage at PTK Catalyst 2025. Miguel Cervantes starred as Alexander Hamilton in the Chicago run of Hamilton: An American Musical from 2016 to 2020. The Chicago Tribune praised his “coiled intensity” and named Miguel the Chicagoan of the Year in theater in 2019 for his mastery of the…
From the balance beam to the Catalyst stage, Olympian Laurie Hernandez is joining the PTK Catalyst 2025 speaker lineup. In the 2016 Rio Olympic games, Laurie was the youngest member of the “Final Five” along with Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian, and Aly Ramisan that helped the U.S. women’s gymnastics team bring home the…
Fifty Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) members were chosen to have their writing and original artwork published in the 30th edition of PTK’s literary journal, Nota Bene. Eight received scholarships for their exemplary entries. The full publication can be read here. Nota Bene showcases the outstanding writing and artistry of community college students. More than 4,500 applicants…
By Karissa Sena-Fadenrecht, Division IV International Vice President Karissa Sena-Fadenrecht was elected as an International Officer at Catalyst 2024 in Orlando. She is a member of the Beta Beta Epsilon Chapter at Great Basin College in Nevada. The College Project is designed to develop a supportive relationship between your chapter and the college administration. The first step to…
By Alyssa DeFlorentis, Division I International Vice President, Cuyahoga Community College – Westshore Alyssa DeFlorentis was elected as an International Officer at Catalyst 2024 in Orlando. She is a member of the Beta Upsilon Beta Chapter at Cuyahoga Community College – Westshore in Ohio. When I first joined Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), I had no idea how much serving…
By Britney Khan, International Vice President of Division III Britney Khan was elected as an International Officer at Catalyst 2024 in Orlando. She is a member of the Alpha Rho Sigma Chapter at Ivy Tech Community College- Bloomington in Indiana. As someone who finds it difficult to step out of their comfort zone, I took…
By International Officer Monserrat Rivero Sanchez Monserrat Rivero Sanchez is a student of Northeast Texas Community College in Texas. She is Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s International Vice President for Division II. You miss 100% of the pitches you don’t swing at. Picture it: you are at Catalyst, and in front of 3,000 of your closest friends and supporters,…