River Bend Times

The Clinton Community CollegePhi Theta Kappa Honor Society hosted an induction ceremony Wednesday, March 8, 2023. Forty two members were inducted into the CCC Alpha Theta Beta Chapter. Students are invited to join Phi Theta Kappa if they have achieved a 3.5 grade point and earned 12 credit hours.

Alpha Theta Beta chapter alumni Trevor Willis and Gabby Haan served as the Masters of Ceremony. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges Chancellor Dr. Sonya Williams welcomed the attendees and shared congratulations to the new members. CCC President Brian Kelly also recognized the academic accomplishments of the students who have earned the opportunity to join Phi Theta Kappa. CCC Dean of Students Dr. Michelle Allmendinger announced the new members. Guest speaker Mat Endress, CCC Academic and Gaming Guild Advisor, presented a program about the opportunities Phi Theta Kappa offers and the partnership with the Gaming Guild student club. Working together, the Alpha Theta Beta chapter and the Gaming Guild have lobbied CCC to create a Student Recreation Center where students can gather for games and socializing. The new center is located on the main campus and hosted a Ribbon Cutting on March 22. The Alpha Theta Beta Chapter Advisors Gina Bielski, Heather Evans, and Shirley Turnis commented, “We are so excited to honor and welcome these new members to our Phi Theta Kappa Chapter.”

CCC will be recognized at the Phi Theta Kappa Catalyst 2023 annual convention in April with the Paragon award for New Presidents honoring Dr. Brian Kelly and the Distinguished College Administrator award honoring Registrar Mardell Mommsen. The Paragon Award for New Presidents recognizes college presidents who have shown support of student success initiatives leading to stronger pathways to completion, transfer, and employment. They have taken an active interest in supporting high-achieving students and developing student leaders on campus. The Distinguished College Administrator award recognizes college administrators working directly with student leaders to solve problems on campus and in their communities. They have taken an active interest in supporting high-achieving students and developing student leaders.

At the Iowa Phi Theta Kappa Academic Awards, the Alpha Theta Beta chapter awarded 5-Start Chapter status, was recently named a REACH chapter for their growth in membership, and will receive free graduation regalia through the Phi Theta Kappa REACH Rewards program. CCC President Dr. Brian Kelly stated, “The advisors and this amazing group of students have worked hard this year. I'm very proud of them and it's great to see their efforts being recognized."

In recent years, the chapter has completed several projects including collecting alumni memories, a little lending library, sending more than 1,000 holiday cards to our military troops, handing out stress relief bags to students and faculty during finals, and upkeep with the pollinator garden.

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 1,200 chapters on two-year and community college campuses in all 50 of the United States, Canada, Germany, and Japan. Scholarships totaling more than $36 million are offered annually to Phi Theta Kappa students. Nearly 3 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 131,000 students inducted annually. For more about the program contact Clinton Community College at 563-244-7001.

Original source can be found here.