Press release
Trinity Valley Community College’s Iota Alpha Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society inducted 40 new members Sunday, July 17, in the Student Union Ballroom of the Athens Campus.
Twenty-two of those new members were inducted in a formal candlelight ceremony featuring a welcome by TVCC President Dr. Jerry King. The ceremony was attended by approximately 100 family and/or friends. Chapter officers explained the symbols and ideals of Phi Theta Kappa before administering the oath of membership to the new inductees. Advisor Dr. Michael Felty, who also leads the TVCC REACH Honors Program, welcomed the new members and reminded them about a new Study Abroad Program for TVCC. Next May a group of students, faculty, staff, and other interested participants will travel to Athens, Greece for eight days, studying the ancient sites and learning about Greece in the modern world. A reception with snacks and punch followed the ceremony.
Inductees pictured, along with officers Niyaz Murtazin, Scott Keon and Stephanie Do and Dr. Felty, are Lani Ford and Nathan Johnson of Athens; Madelyn Ellis of Brownsboro; Jennifer Bennett of Cayuga; Danaleigh Baird and Sarah Hornby of Chandler; Maryland Stannard of Crandall; Hagen Dowell of Cross Roads; Mary Usmiller of Eustace; Brooklyn Smith of Forney; Lauryn Manning of Kaufman; Tracy Johnson of Neches; Lauren Aviles, Opal May, Laura McMillan and Bonnie Nikki Toscano of Palestine; Estephania Aleman, Ellis Bishop, Brooklyn Cobern, Dakota Heathcock and Meghin Webb of Terrell; Kassie Kersh of Waller; Austin Kissinger of Kansas City, MO. and Rebecca Sayward of Virginia Beach, VA.
Eighteen other new members joined Iota Alpha Chapter online and were inducted directly by International Phi Theta Kappa or may postpone their formal Induction to Fall Semester. They are Shelly Weeks of Crandall; Ashley Wall of Forney; Ashley Tarrant of Greenville; Sean Kavanagh of Gun Barrel City; Wensdy Maldanado of Jacksonville; Cortney Frye and Jamin Hall of Kaufman; Shanique Hurd of LaRue; Jose Armando Carrizales, Maye McLeod, James Pike and Allison Sheridan of Palestine; Elissa Gandy of Terrell; Jalen Lane and Kameron McEnturff of Wills Point.
To be eligible to join Phi Theta Kappa a student must be currently enrolled, have completed at least 12 semester hours of college credit at TVCC, have successfully completed any required Developmental courses, and have at least a 3.50 Honors GPA on all college work attempted at TVCC.