Phi Theta Kappa Alumni of Washburn (PTKAW) held its fall induction ceremony in which it welcomed twelve new members into its hallowed ranks.

The proceedings began at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20 as Emily Jardon, the President of the organization, called the meeting to order. Each of the new members, including some of their parents and close family, waited to be officially recognized as part of PTKAW.

PTKAW is a registered student organization for alumni of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society for two-year colleges. They are one of the few officially-chartered Phi Theta Kappa alumni chapters in the United States. The official purpose of the alumni group is to support the people, programs and priorities of the Phi Theta Kappa Society.

The student organization handles many projects throughout the year, including the PTKAW Shoe Drive partnership with local nonprofit Doorstep, its recent concluded medical supply drive with Pine Ridge Family Health Center and the Trunk or Treat festivities that took place in October.

The new members are: Tammie Acker, Paul Borcherding, Kayla Fender, Conner Bond, Sami Brown, Diana Martinez-Ponce, Katie Pfanz, Shela Pierre Noel, Audrey Shepherd, Katty Vasquez, Elia Saucedo and Shelby Spradling. Elia, Shelby and Katty were inducted as the newest officers of the organization with the positions of Vice President for Development, Historian and Vice President for PTK relations respectively.

Each new member has something to add to the alumni association in regard to their skills and determination to succeed.

“I had heard about PTKAW over some emails I’d received a few years back, and it looked like a great organization to be a part of,” said Elia Saucedo, a senior accounting major. “Recently during our Trunk or Treat, I partnered with Walmart and wrote them a letter to give us a $50 stipend for some of our needs, specifically for candy because it’s kind of hard to get that kind of involvement.”

Each member has a similar drive to do their best to improve Washburn’s campus and the local community.

“I want to get my CPA as an accounting major and get my masters, so I’ll be here a little longer than others,” said Saucedo. “I really want to get more involved on campus, not just in meeting with people from the business school, but also meeting people with the other areas of Washburn. It’s really nice to see what other groups are doing, and learning how I can get involved.”

Other guest speakers at the event included Pamela Howe, the Secretary for the Phi Theta Kappa Kansas/Nebraska Region, Carol Comer, the International Vice President of Division III for 2018-2019, which is Phi Theta Kappa’s Highest honor and level of leadership for student scholars, and Syvannah Williams, a former Charter member of PTKAW and the longest-serving member in history.

“I joined Phi Theta Kappa at my community college,” said Katty Vasquez, a senior Biology major. “I graduated in 2011 and was a chapter officer. Then I came here where I still operate as a regional officer for the society. It’s taken me seven years but I expect to graduate next semester. I’ve always felt like I had a connection to the organization.”

“We have our four pillars, which are service, fellowship, leadership and scholarship,” said Vasquez. “The service part has kept me coming back to the organization over the years. That, and the people who make up PTK.”

The induction ceremony concluded at 7 p.m. with great fanfare as the new members gathered around for some group photos before parting for the evening. To find out more about the organization, please visit their website at https://ptkaw8.wixsite.com/ptkaw.

Edited by Jackson Woods, Adam White, Jason Morrison