Last week, Dr. Naima Brown accompanied three officers from the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society at Santa Fe College to the 93rd International Convention in Seattle, Wa. Chelsea Curry (President), Katie Fields (Vice-President) and Adriana Ippolito (Senator) served as delegates for the Alpha Zeta Phi chapter.
Brown, who is an advisor for the PTK chapter, learned about the organization’s mission, the advisor’s responsibilities, the resources available for chapter leaders, best practice strategies for advising, and the Honors in Action project.
The student delegates learned about officer roles, recruitment strategies, collaboration with other organizations, and what is needed to attain 5-star status for the chapter. Even more, says Brown, “We connected our chapter to other PTK chapters in this region and around the world. We are excited about what we learned and looking forward to sharing it with the new officers at the retreat and induction ceremony that is planned for Saturday, April 23. We are really ready to take PTK to the next level!”
While at the Convention, it was an honor to see Santa Fe’s very own James Albury, the coordinator of the Kilka Silva Pla Planetarium. Albury, who was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa at Miami Dade College, held the honor of being the moderator for the First General Session. He facilitated a discussion between Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist who directs the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, Fred Haise, a NASA astronaut who piloted the Apollo XIII, and Jeremy Begley, a civil engineer who built a robot for a simulated Mars mission. Their conversation encouraged students to understand the value of science and math in all areas of life.
In addition to learning about PTK at the convention, the Santa Fe College delegates also had an opportunity to explore Seattle. The explorations included a trip to the top of the Space Needle, a ride on the Seattle Monorail, a stroll through the Pike Place Market, a walk along the waterfront, a visit to the Experience Music Project, and hours of intense learning at the Pacific Science Center.
For more information about PTK at Santa Fe College, please contact Dr. Naima Brown at 395-4477.
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