Alpha Nu Lambda, Clark State Community College’s chapter of the international honor society Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), will hold a fall induction ceremony at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 8 at the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center in downtown Springfield.
Naureen Qasim, associate professor in the health, human and public services division, has served as an advisor of PTK at Clark State since 2008. More than 30 students have accepted the invitation this fall to join PTK—the world’s largest honor society for two-year college students.
Eligible students were notified by the national PTK organization. Although the ceremony will be held November 8, Clark State students have until December 11 to enroll. Qasim encourages all eligible students to join the honor society, and she strives to make them aware of the benefits of being a member.
Members of PTK have the opportunity to work on college and honors projects. “For the college project, they will develop a brochure that will have all of the resources available for the incoming students to be successful,” said Qasim. “For the honors project, students will gather information for prosthetic limbs and 3-D printers.”
Clark State student Amanda Ferryman, from Catawba, Ohio, holds an Associate of Arts degree from Clark State and is currently enrolled in the registered nursing program. She has been invited to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
“My mom is a Clark State graduate so I was familiar with the campus, and it was close to home,” she said. “I love the small class sizes because you get to know your fellow students more, and it's easy to find people to study with.”
Ferryman chose to join PTK because it offers her a chance to learn leadership skills and use those skills to help change things in the college and the community. “We participate in Relay for Life every year, and I think that kind of community involvement is very important,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to meeting new people.”
Ferryman plans on continuing her education and obtaining a Bachelor of Science in nursing. “I'm thinking of attending Wright State or Ohio University,” she said. “Through PTK you can get many scholarships. They offer some for two-year degrees, some for people transferring to a four-year school, and they also have one to help pay for the NCLEX.”
Ferryman said it's important to celebrate successes. “Everyone learns differently, and everyone, given the right support, can get to a level they are proud of,” she said. “Don't ever give up, no matter what life throws at you. I've been through a lot in my personal life, and I just think everyone should know even if it takes you ten years, don't give up on yourself. You can do it.”
To be an eligible candidate for PTK, students must have completed at least 12 credit hours at the college and have a minimum 3.5 grade point average. Students pay a one-time fee of $80 for a lifetime membership. Membership benefits include scholarships; free enrollment in CollegeFish.org, a transfer and college completion planning tool; free access to Five Star Competitive Edge, a personal and professional development plan for building marketable skills and an online portfolio; increased pay grade for entry-level federal jobs; tuition discounts; and more.
Alpha Nu Lambda was named a Five Star chapter in 2015 and 2016. There are more than 40 PTK chapters in the Ohio region, and Alpha Nu Lambda is one of only eight chapters to have achieved Five Star status this year.