Student Tribune
Phi Theta Kappa's NY Regional Convention Chapter Awards
The MCC Phi Theta Kappa chapter attended the 37th Annual Phi Theta Kappa NY
regional Convention this weekend. This was the first ever virtual convention.
There were a great number of “firsts” this year, and Monroe’s
chapter officer and advisor team were innovative and resilient in a very
challenging time. To name a few, we hosted the first Virtual Honor’s
conference in November, first virtual Induction ceremony, bi-weekly membership
meetings, and a virtual holiday celebration with the Leopold daycare center.
I am honored to share the following recognitions our chapter received on
March 12 and 13, 2021.
Monroe's chapter is one of 60 chapters in the region. The Alpha Theta
Iota chapter was awarded New York's 1st runner up for the Distinguished
chapter. There are only 3 Most Distinguished Chapter awards in the region. The
award is given when chapters implement successful College Projects and Honors
In Action community programs which are reflected in Hallmark Essays. These
essays are judged by Phi Theta Kappa International headquarter staff, and the
scores are ranked Regionally and Internationally. Our chapter competes with 60
regional chapters and over 1200 Internationally.
The College Project (CP) Team worked collaboratively with
the DWIGHT food pantry at Monroe Community College to help with food
distributions. To promote inclusivity and multicultural food options, the
CP Team negotiated with local grocers to create a discount card for MCC
students. The team also created instructional tutorials for students who
struggle navigating MCC’s Blackboard. It helped students overcome
technological gaps and become more comfortable with remote learning.
Bridging the Digital Divide, Led by Professor Scott
Rudd. The Honors is Action (HIA) Team created a website
containing content to assist 6-12 grade students with self-regulation and
computer literacy. The research project goal was to build a
student’s confidence in the new digital learning format and beyond. The
content focus was generated by research and a survey sent to all Monroe County
public school guidance counselors to ascertain the need of students, staff, and
families. The PTK members volunteered to tutor students in need. By
collaborating with various departments and professors at Monroe Community
College, we were able to create a plethora of content and tutorials to assist
students.
Colleen Caruana(nursing Faculty member) was recognized for her first year as
a PTK advisor.
Professor Scott Rudd(English and honors faculty member), won the
Distinguished Advisor Award! The PTK officer team wrote a beautiful essay
nominating Scott for his service to the chapter. He was also recognized for his
five years of service as a chapter advisor.
Jodi Oriel was awarded the Horizon Award for her leadership and
contributions to the Regional advisory board, and for her 23 years as an
advisor to the chapter.
Please join me in congratulating the Officer and Advisor
Team
Julia Babcock
Sherinne Cauwels
Ahilian Gurupran
Tiffany Harmon
Heonmin Lee
Karen Lewis
Amel Mahi
Freshta Masoud
Maryam Masoud
Zuhra Masoud
Lizette Porter
Kari White
Amelia Williams
Christian Zirbel
Advisors: Professor Scott Rudd, Professor Colleen Caruana, and Jodi Oriel
Rappenecker, Sharon
Office of Student Life & Leadership Dev.
03/18/2021