Honor students recognized in Nashville

Alpha Theta Xi, the Pellissippi State chapter of Phi Theta Kappa honor society, was awarded fifth place for the Most Distinguished Chapter in Tennessee at the April PTK convention in Nashville.

The College’s organization is one of 14 in the state, and the recent ranking was the highest the chapter has seen in many years, says faculty sponsor Carol O’Farrell. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society of two-year colleges.

O’Farrell, an English professor, and Jonathan Fowler, an associate professor of history, accompanied students to the regional and international conventions, where the awards were presented at Nashville’s Opryland Hotel.

Several Alpha Theta Xi members brought home state prizes: Literary awards went to Nick Sewell, who won second place in Poetry, and Michele Bretz, who won third place in Short Fiction.

Mary DeSmidt earned a first place for Visual Art, with Elaine Harrah receiving a third-place award in Visual Art.

Niki Adams received the Jean Williams Icarus Award for her written account of Pellissippi State’s venture into the annual Fantasy of Trees to benefit East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.

The Chapter of Light Awards were presented for service projects. Alpha Theta Xi submitted fellow members for nomination.

Michelle Kelley won second place for Distinguished Chapter President. Carolyn Goodman won fourth for Distinguished Chapter Member, and Kimberly Ayers won fourth for Distinguished Chapter Officer.

Hallmark Essays, evaluated and scored by international PTK headquarters, garnered awards for two Alpha Theta Xi members: Elaine Harrah’s essay took the third-place Distinguished Leadership Award, and Liz Overton’s essay won third in the Distinguished Service Award.

Additionally, Pellissippi State earned Five Star Chapter status for setting and reaching its goals and the Bronze Pinnacle Award for increasing membership.

Pellissippi State student Karen Quammen participated in the international awards ceremony.

“She was on stage as a flag bearer, a torch passer and a Guistwhite Scholar,” said O’Farrell. Quammen was one of only 20 people worldwide selected for the $5,000 scholarship given to students of two-year colleges. Students are required to be a member of Phi Theta Kappa, have at least a 3.5 GPA and have plans to transfer to a four-year college.

James Bruns, who retired recently as Pellissippi State’s vice president of Academic and Student Affairs, was presented with the Administrator Award of Distinction at the international convention.

Phi Theta Kappa is made up of more than 1,200 chapters at community, technical and junior colleges in all 50 of the United States, as well as in Canada, Germany, the U.S. Territories, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Palau and the British Virgin Islands.

PTK is the largest and most prestigious honor society serving two-year colleges, according to Brandi McNeil, director of chapter programs.

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