QCC’s Early College program and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) teamed up to educate Early College students on the benefits of joining a program like PTK, an honor society specifically for community colleges. QCC’s chapter of PTK, Alpha Zeta Theta, is one of the most active in New England and has been nationally recognized multiple times.
Secretary Ebenezer Ahiator, PTK Greenhouse Manager Christian Bowlin, PTK President Talissa Goncalves, current Student Trustee (and former PTK officer) Maria Mikhaeil and PTK Vice President Matt Vitolo gave a presentation to students in Early College Instructor Alexis Gomez’s graphic design course.
The PTK students explained the simple requirements to gain entry into the program, which include a 3.5 GPA and a small fee. They detailed the numerous benefits of belonging to the prestigious honor society such as gaining access to many scholarship and transfer opportunities, personalized letters of recommendation and additional resources for strengthening leadership skills and soft skills for the workforce.
Talissa mentioned that for those who like to travel, being a PTK officer can lead to an all-expense paid trip, such as the event she recently attended in Florida where she had the opportunity to network with other national PTK members.
Another important aspect of QCC’s PTK's honor Society is the opportunity for community service. PTK has worked on projects with countless community partners, such as Veteran’s Inc. and Habitat for Humanity, as well as in QCC's own HomePlate Food Pantry and Resource Center.
“PTK is a cool community of people trying to better themselves and others. The sense of working to help people out makes you feel good about what you’re doing,” said Christian to the Early College students. “Volunteer work is also heavily suggested if you’re applying for transfer to other schools.”
For some, the best part of being in PTK is camaraderie. When Matt started at QCC he didn’t think he belonged, especially being older than a lot of other students.
“PTK gave me an opportunity to meet people with similar interests, make friends and find a sense of belonging. I couldn’t have gone as far as I have without it (PTK),” Matt reflected.
Many Early College students will graduate high school with several college credits on their transcript, but Gomez advised them to think even deeper about what community college can offer. Gomez is a QCC alum and was involved in many clubs and organization at the college. The connections he made, like those that can be made through PTK, ended up getting him a job years later when he was laid off.
“QCC offers something bigger,” Gomez said. “Grow yourself as a professional and an individual. It starts right here, right now.”