Lincoln College PTK Chapter recognized at regional, national conventions

[July 01, 2014]  LINCOLN - The Iota Chi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society at Lincoln College received two awards at the PTK Regional Convention and was recognized as a 4-Star Chapter at the International Convention.

Iota Chi chapter was recognized with the Dr. Mary Anne Player Appreciation Award for co-hosting the Illinois Honors Institute and Leadership Conference held at Illinois Central College last October. The Conference was attended by members of 18 Illinois Phi Theta Kappa chapters and representatives of the International Headquarters. According to Iota Chi’s faculty advisor Associate Professor Spring Hyde, hosting the conference was the pinnacle event in the Iota Chi Chapter’s goal to earn its fourth star in the 5-Star Chapter Development Plan.

“To be recognized by the Region as an award recipient is a huge achievement,” said Hyde. “We have vastly increased our presence on campus, in the community, and in the region in the last four years. It was a wonderful surprise for our chapter to be recognized for the hard work our members have put forth.”

In addition to the Chapter recognition, Hyde was nominated by the Illinois Region and Phi Theta Kappa International Headquarters for a Horizon Award, which is given to chapter advisors who attain new levels of achievement in their PTK programs.

“I was honored, and surprised, to learn that I was given the Horizon Award for ‘reviving the Lincoln College Chapter.’ I could not have done this without the help of my co-advisor Assistant Professor Kate Ross, the support of College administrators, and especially the wonderful, funny, hard-working PTK members who have helped build our chapter the last four years,” said Hyde.

In recent years the Iota Chi chapter has participated in the Logan County Polar Plunge for Special Olympics, sent over 500 books to soldiers serving overseas and donated books to Illinois Veterans, sponsored the Reading Railroad Activity Day to promote reading in the community, collected toys for Logan County Toys for Tots, held voter registration drives, volunteered at the Creekside Outdoor Center for Environmental Education, and participated in or helped with numerous other community and campus events.

Founded in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society of two-year colleges and has over 2 million members.

[Text received; TRACY BERGIN, LINCOLN COLLEGE]