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Daytona State Phi Theta Kappa chapter earns prestigious five-star designation
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 10, 2015) - The Mu Rho chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK)
Honor Society at Daytona State College has been named a Five-Star chapter by the Missouri-based
national honor society, founded in 1918 to recognize and encourage scholarship and
service among two-year college students.
The honor completes one of the Mu Rho chapter's multi-year goals. Earning the five-star
designation is the most exclusive status a chapter can achieve.
"Reaching this prestigious chapter designation is a testament to the dedication, character
and quality of our PTK students," said DSC President Tom LoBasso. "It requires a personal
commitment to excellence, leadership and community service, and encourages continued
growth in academic quality and integrity at Daytona State."
The five-star designation recognizes chapters for student engagement, both on campus
and in the community. As part of its five-star efforts, Mu Rho hosted bowling and
movie nights benefitting the Conklin Center for the Blind, participated in the Heart
Walk for the American Heart Association and has helped sponsor blood drives on campus.
The chapter also initiated an "Honors in Action Project," which focuses on community
health awareness.
To be eligible for PTK membership, DSC students must have at least a 3.5 grade point
average on a 4.0 scale and must have completed 12 semester hours. Members are eligible
to apply for over $87 million in scholarships from the national PTK organization,
as well as from partnering four-year colleges, universities and foundations.
Along with scholarships, many leadership and academic awards are available to PTK
members. At DSC, PTK chapter President Melissa Diaz was chosen for the Florida College
System's 2015 All-Florida Academic Team, which recognizes outstanding students for
their academic achievement, leadership and service to their communities.
Other Mu Rho chapter officers are Christina Meoli, vice president of leadership; Jessica
Green, recording secretary; Christopher Gow, treasurer; Michael Tirpak, parliamentarian;
Danjha Leon, public relations secretary; Andrew Adie, vice president of scholarship;
and Pranav Reddy, vice president of communications.
Regional campus officers are Jacob Swaggerty, vice president of fundraising, DeLand
Campus; Amanda Darvish, vice president of service, Flagler/Palm Coast Campus; Andrew
Agnew, recording secretary, Flagler/Palm Coast Campus; Johnny Starnes, vice president
of fellowship, New Smyrna Beach/Edgewater Campus; and Kelcie Knapp, vice president
of membership, Deltona Campus.
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MORE: Offering more than 100 certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree programs, Daytona State College is the leader in education and workforce training needs of Volusia and Flagler counties and beyond for more than 60 years. The College enrolls nearly 25,000 students a year at its seven instructional sites, with graduates serving in critical fields including healthcare, emergency services/public safety, business, education, hospitality, engineering, technology, digital media, and more.
Daytona State has been recognized as a leader in higher education numerous times, consistently by U.S. News & World Report, which ranks the College among the Top Tier Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. The U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center has ranked DSC among the top 50 most affordable public four-year institutions in the country, with less than half the tuition of the national average. Community College Week, a leading publication in higher education, annually continues to feature the college in its list of Top 100 Associate Degree Producers. And U.S. News & World Report has ranked DSC among its Top Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans multiple times.
For enrollment information, visit Admissions’ Frequently Asked Questions page.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Chris Thomes, Chris.Thomes@DaytonaState.edu
Marketing & Communications, Marketing@DaytonaState.edu
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