By Krisy Rachal, 2026–2027 International Vice President for Division IV
When I was asked if I would help reactivate Phi Theta Kappa at Tacoma Community College, it was not an obvious choice. I had accepted membership, but I had never attended a PTK meeting. I was already balancing a full course load, student government responsibilities, work, and numerous other commitments. I could have listed plenty of reasons to say no. Instead, I said yes.
I wasn’t joining a thriving chapter with established systems and experienced leaders ready to show me the way. I was stepping into a chapter that needed rebuilding, and I had no idea where to begin. As Recording Officer and Treasurer, I suddenly found myself responsible for helping guide a chapter despite having little understanding of how Phi Theta Kappa operated.
The first thing I learned was that leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about being willing to find them.
Lesson One: Ask for Help
I began reading bylaws, studying project requirements, reviewing the Five Star Chapter Plan, and learning everything I could about Honors in Action and the College Project. I asked our advisor countless questions. When we needed more guidance, we reached out to PTK Headquarters.
Headquarters scheduled a meeting with us the same week we emailed. They were kind and responsive, walking us through the requirements for becoming a Five Star Chapter. During that meeting, we learned we had just one hour to submit a Hallmark Award entry needed for one of our stars. We panicked a little, sent two members into the hall to work on the submission, and continued meeting with HQ about the other requirements!
Admitting that I didn’t know was not a weakness. It was one of the most valuable leadership skills I could develop. I had to become comfortable saying, “I don’t know how to do this yet. Can you help me?” And people did.
With their support, our officer team began learning together, problem solving together, and building the systems our chapter needed to succeed.
Then reality set in. We had roughly one month over holiday break to complete many of the projects and requirements necessary to achieve our goals. It felt overwhelming. There were deadlines to meet, projects to complete, members to engage, and chapter requirements that still seemed intimidating.
Instead of focusing on everything we hadn’t accomplished yet, we focused on the next step. We divided responsibilities, created timelines, delegated projects, and continued moving forward even when we weren’t completely certain we were doing everything perfectly.
In 2025, our chapter earned Five Star Chapter Status, placed among the top five chapters in the Greater Northwest Region, and earned third place in the region for our Honors in Action Project. Those accomplishments mattered, but the lessons we learned along the way mattered even more.
Lesson Two: Trust Others to Lead
One of the hardest lessons for me was learning to trust others with responsibility. During our College Project, a provisional member who was not yet eligible for PTK membership was eager to help. We entrusted them with a major responsibility: leading outreach for our campus food pantry initiative.
At first, that felt risky. Like many leaders, I worried whether the project would be completed correctly. My instinct was to maintain control. Instead, I chose to provide support without taking over.
When progress slowed, I checked in and asked what obstacles they were facing. Stores were not responding to donation requests, so we brainstormed. I suggested calling instead of waiting for responses to online forms and emails. The member took the idea further and visited stores in person.
They built relationships with local businesses and secured a large food donation for the pantry, opening the door to possible future partnerships. When the donation became available during winter break and many of us could not respond, the member coordinated its pickup and delivery. There was so much food that only about 70 percent of it fit in the car!
That experience changed the way I viewed leadership. Leadership is about creating opportunities for other people to discover what they are capable of accomplishing.
Lesson Three: You Do Not Have to Feel Ready
When I accepted the challenge of rebuilding our chapter, I worried I wasn’t the right person. I reminded myself that there wasn’t anyone else doing it at the time. I also told myself: If I only have 10% to give, and I give all of it, I’ve given 100% of what I have.
I had never attended a PTK meeting. I felt uncertain, inexperienced, and unprepared. But our chapter became stronger because a group of students chose to learn together rather than wait until we felt completely ready.
For anyone stepping into a PTK leadership role and feeling overwhelmed, my advice is simple: Ask for help. Trust your team. Build systems, not dependencies. Focus on helping others grow. And when the opportunity to lead arrives, even if you don’t feel ready, say yes anyway. Every chapter and campus is different. Do what works best for your situation. You’ve got this!
