Vanessa Perkinson
Writer
vperkinson@lc.edu
Phi Theta Kappa can mean different things to different people. Of course for everyone, it means graduating with honors, but it is actually so much more than that. Honestly, Phi Theta Kappa means a lot more than many people would realize. For me being in PTK means having incredible opportunities to represent my school, get involved in campus events, and make a lot of new friends along the way. In just my first couple of months I’ve been able to do all this and I’m so excited to continue to do these things and more in the coming year.
Representing the school was the first way I got involved in Phi Theta Kappa and getting to do that means so much to me. It started when our advisor, Elizabeth Grant, sent out and email saying she needed a volunteer to represent PTK at the student government meetings. Luckily, I was free during the meeting times and was eagerly looking for a way to get involved in Lewis and Clark’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter. I immediately agreed to go to the meeting and I now get the honor of representing us at all of the student government meetings. Not only do I represent PTK at these meetings, but also I was able to do this at our very own Discover Day. This gave me the chance to meet new prospective students and tell them one on one what being in Phi Theta Kappa could mean for them. The privilege of representing our chapter will continue for me at our upcoming Springfest and hopefully at many more future events as well. It is without a doubt one of my favorite parts of being an active Phi Theta Kappa member here on campus.
Not only do I get to represent PTK on campus, but I also get special opportunities to participate in campus events as well. One of those events is our April 18th Earth Day event in which our PTK chapter gets to present a poem to those attending. Sometimes the involvement goes even further and I get to actually be a part of planning campus events,
which I especially love. This is already happening as I am currently working with a PTK officer, Elizabeth Grant, and Dr. Linda Chapman to create an event that seeks to educate all in attendance about opioids and give a voice to those who have been impacted by opioid addiction. This is a special honor for me and I am greatly looking forward to being able to be actively involved in many of the events that take place on the Lewis and Clark campus.
Beyond any type of involvement in events or campus activities, Phi Theta Kappa has meant getting to meet and become friends with some of the most amazing people. For starters, getting to know and work with our incredible advisor, Elizabeth Grant, is such an honor and I have learned so much from her already. I’ve also gotten to know the officers and the members who attend the general meetings and they are all so inspirational. There is a special bond created when a person gets to work side by side with people who are like-minded in their mission and yet so beautifully diverse at the same time. This has certainly been true of the friends I have made so far in Phi Theta Kappa. Gaining camaraderie with a group of strong, smart, motivated individuals is the opportunity of a lifetime and I am so blessed to have that.
I hope through sharing my experience with Phi Theta Kappa and what being a member means to me, it will encourage others to join as well. I’ve only mentioned a few of the benefits, so I hope many will read this and feel compelled to become an active member and find their own unique meaning in PTK. Being involved can take a lot of work, but it is equally a lot of fun. It takes dedication and perseverance, but I promise you that what you get out of it is well worth any effort you put in.