The Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society, the international honor society for two-year colleges, recently recognized Montgomery County Community College’s two PTK chapters – Alpha Kappa Zeta at the Blue Bell Campus, and Beta Tau Lambda at the Pottstown Campus – as 2021 PTK REACH and Five-Star chapters.

PTK’s REACH (Recognizing Excellence in Acceptance and Completion with Honors) program honors PTK chapters for their work in bringing the valuable benefits and opportunities of PTK membership to even more students in 2020. This year, MCCC’s PTK chapters are among the 1,081 chapters from around the world to earn this recognition. More than 288 students at MCCC were inducted into PTK in 2020.

The Five-Star chapter status is the highest level of achievement a chapter can attain through its participation in campus, local, regional, national and international activities. Despite not being on campus for most of 2020 due to the pandemic, PTK members continued to meet online, participate in leadership training opportunities and volunteer with service projects.

“Our students face many adversities both personally and professionally, and these prominent chapter recognitions are especially meaningful in demonstrating their commitment to attaining their academic and career goals,” said Dr. Victoria L. Bastecki-Perez, MCCC President. “I’m very proud of our talented students and their accomplishments, and of our dedicated faculty advisors for their extraordinary efforts.”

Both chapters perform service projects during the spring and fall semesters. For their service projects, members of Alpha Kappa Zeta (AKZ) started an Instagram account to encourage students to register and vote in 2020. They also did a project to determine what resources non-citizen students at MCCC need, and through the process, they learned that students need more information about affordable housing and scholarships.

For their service projects in 2020, members of Beta Tau Lambda (BTL) distributed more than 100 face masks to those in need, handwrote 265 holiday cards for quarantined residents at the Parkhouse Rehabilitation Facility in Royersford, and raised money for the local food banks and veteran’s resource organizations.

History Assistant Professor Dr. Catherine Parzynski and History Professor Dr. Cathy Hoult Shewring serve as the co-advisors for AKZ, and Criminal Justice Assistant Professor Dr. Monica Proffitt-Osborne and English Assistant Professor Dr. Victoria Vetro serve as the co-advisors for BTL.

Beyond the leadership and service opportunities, PTK also helps to minimize or eliminate tuition debt and enables students to continue to pursue their educational goals.

“One of the most appealing benefits of PTK is the scholarship opportunities associated with membership,” Dr. Parzynski said. “A number of four-year schools, for example, reduce tuition for PTK members, and there are also competitive scholarships.”

Several PTK members received scholarships in 2020. BTL Chapter President Katrina Boughter earned the PTK Hallmark Award and received a $21,000 scholarship to Chestnut Hill College. BTL members Ashley Tokarski, who served as chapter vice president, and Matthew Falcone, along with AKZ members Blessing Osazuwa and Dennis Duett, were named All-Pennsylvania Academic Team Scholars, and as such, were eligible to receive scholarships to cover the tuition for two years at any Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education school. In addition, Falcone was named a 2020 PTK Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholar and received a $1,250 scholarship.

To be eligible for PTK membership, students must earn a minimum of 12 credits, maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and be of good moral character. PTK members represent the four hallmarks of scholarship, leadership, fellowship and service.

According to PTK’s website, 91 percent of Phi Theta Kappa members will complete their associate’s degree and/or transfer to a four-year college, compared to 38 percent of students nationally. In addition, members have access to $48 million in scholarships — $1 million in competitive scholarships through the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and more than $46 million in transfer scholarships to over 850 four-year colleges.

Both of MCCC’s PTK chapters have previously earned the distinction of PTK’s Five-Star status, as well as the Middle States Gold and REACH awards for numerous years. MCCC has hosted a PTK chapter on its campuses since 1984.