of Terry Helmick
By David Hurtado
Attending college affords many different opportunities for students, whether they be social or academic in nature. Having a GPA of at least 3.5, however, opens those doors just a tad bit wider.
Phi Theta Kappa, a national honor society, provides additional scholarship opportunities for students who go the extra mile, as well as volunteer activities and leadership skills. Students who are members of the group are not required to actively participate.
Terry Helmick, adviser, said the principal benefit Phi Theta Kappa offers members was the availability of scholarships. Even if a member prefers not to participate, Helmick said it’s still a good feature to include on your resume.
“I think the biggest benefit is the availability of scholarships for Phi Theta Kappa members,” Helmick said. “There are certain scholarships only available to the Phi Theta Kappa people and they’re really good scholarships too. Some universities will also give you a scholarship just because you’re a Phi Theta Kappa member.”
Among the scholarships included are the Jana E. Pinker Foundation Scholarship, the Life Happens Scholarship and Alumni Book Scholarship.
Formed in 1918 at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., Phi Theta Kappa now has over 1,250 chapters and 2,000,000 members worldwide. To qualify for initial membership in the organization, a student must have completed 12 college level credits with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5. Eligible members are sent invitations at the beginning of each semester.
An initial $75 onetime fee is also required. Students are lifetime members once paid though.
However, Phi Theta Kappa is not to be confused with the Honors Program at the college. Pat Decker, adviser, said the major difference between the two was the amount of requirements to retain membership status. She said apart from sponsoring events, membership in Phi Theta Kappa has no requirements other than a healthy GPA.
“The Honors Program is an academic program that involves enrollment in four honors classes or honors contracts, along with additional requirements,” Decker said. “It is open to JCCC students with a GPA of 3.5. Members of the Honors Program can apply for a merit-based scholarship and have early enrollment privileges. They graduate from the program in a special ceremony and Honors Program Graduate is noted on their transcript.”
In the event a student’s GPA were to drop below 3.5 after joining Phi Theta Kappa, they are required to notify the advisers and are placed on a one semester probation to get their grades up. Still, unless the student is actively participating, they won’t really feel the effects. Membership status is not revoked, but the student becomes ineligible for scholarships offered by Phi Theta Kappa.
Naira Hueper, officer, said she joined Phi Theta Kappa through one of her close friends who encouraged her to join. Hueper was a member for two years before she became an officer.
“One of the reasons I joined is because of the resume; it always looks good,” Hueper said. “I know that they travel a lot and you can gain a lot of leadership experiences. My position is leadership, and I’ve gotten some scholarships because of that as well, so it has really benefited me. It has helped me grow on so many levels. I used to be shy to talk in front of people, and you cannot be shy if you are an officer. […] you have to be able to talk in front of a group.”
Members participate in a variety of activities, including Hospice, Harvesters, Food Crop Mob and the Truffle Shuffle which is held each year at the college. All times and dates for events can be found on ANGEL in the Phi Theta Kappa community or on the group’s Facebook page.
Marcella Carvalho, officer, said she values the scholarships Phi Theta Kappa offers just as much as the chance to help others.
“Phi Theta Kappa is an honors association so as soon as you join, you’re a member for life,” Carvalho said. “You can always apply for a scholarship as soon as you’re in college; that’s a big deal. Second, they have a mission to help others as a community service. Besides the scholarship which is something for me, I can give something to others as well.”
The most important event for Phi Theta Kappa is the national convention. At the national convention, the organization recognizes achievements by chapters for their work on an Honors in Action Project or College Project, as well as recognizing distinguished chapter members, officers and advisers. Guest speakers included Wimbledon winner Jean King and Geoff Colvin, an editor for Fortune Magazine.
“There were 3,500 people at the convention,” Helmick said. “It’s kind of the end of the year culmination of everything Phi Theta Kappa has done throughout the year. There are a lot of awards given out for top chapters, advisers, even college presidents. It’s like the academy awards of Phi Theta Kappa, truly. They had huge sets, music; when you went in to the convention hall, it looked like the Democratic National Convention.”
Contact David Hurtado, staff reporter, at dhurtado@jccc.edu