PTK Earns State, National, International Honors

The Walters State chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community colleges, brought home some big awards from state and national conventions. Chapter officers are, from left, Blake Adkins of Rogersville; Melody Hawkins of Jefferson City; Eli Bailey of Morristown; Kelly Nguyen of Sevierville; Dr. Lisa Eccles, professor biology and chapter advisor; Olivia Waddell of Whitesburg.

PTK Finished Second in National Be the Match Competition

The Walters State chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community college students, took home impressive honors at the organization’s national Catalyst Convention. The chapter placed second in PTK Saves Lives Program, was named an International Five-Star Program and received individual recognition for officer Melody Hawkins.  

Through PTK Saves Lives, the chapter recruited new donors to Be the Match, now known as the National Marrow Donor Program. The National Marrow Donor Program matches potential bone marrow donors to those battling blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, saving thousands of lives each year. PTK has 1,253 chapters and many were competing for top honors. 

“Our PTK students always take on worthy challenges and succeed each year,” said Dr. Tony Miksa, president of Walters State. “This year’s leadership team showed exceptional motivation. Their efforts throughout the past year will likely save lives in the future.”

PTK officers began planning for their participation in Be the Match in spring 2022. Chapter officers and advisor Dr. Lisa Eccles, professor of biology, became certified to collect donor information.. Throughout the fall, the officers traveled to every campus and attended major campus events offering information on the process. Those willing to be donors swabbed their cheeks and submitted information to the national registry. 

“This was a huge volunteer effort supported by students, faculty and staff from across all divisions and locations,” Eccles said. “This award really belongs to the whole college, not just PTK.”

The award was presented at the PTK Catalyst in Orlando, Florida. During the convention, the chapter was also recognized as a Five Star Chapter for successful initiatives involving reach, discover, lead, network and engage. Melody Hawkins, a social work major from Jefferson City, was recognized as an International Distinguished Region Officer.

On the state level, the chapter’s Be the Match campaign was recognized with the Tennessee Regional Service Outreach Award and played a role in the chapter being honored as the Tennessee Regional Chapter of Light. Eccles received the Continued Excellence PTK Advisor Award.