“Transformative.” This one word, says Casey Reynolds, co-advisor of Lake Land’s (LLC) very own Phi Theta Kappa chapter, encapsulates the monumental impact he has personally witnessed the honorary society have on its members.
Phi Theta Kappa, PTK for short, is an honors society specifically tailored to assist students at two-year colleges in areas such as scholarship, fellowship and service, while also teaching new members to grow as leaders.
LLC’s website states that the students who qualify are invited to join after “completing 12 semester hours toward an associate degree or 6 credit hours toward a one-year certificate, provided they are degree-seeking and have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher.”
Once a member has been fully inducted, they agree to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 in order to retain their status as an active member.
Meetings are held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at noon in NE 112 on Lake Land’s campus. Interested students can either reach out to an advisor, make an appearance at a meeting and ask in person, or email [email protected].
During these biweekly meetings, new members are met with welcoming smiles from the current officer team. This team is led by Sarah Housh, President of Lake Land’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter.
When asked what the most rewarding aspect of being Lake Land’s PTK President has been, Housh excitedly proclaimed that it is “the opportunity to lead a group of driven, goal-oriented students who care about education and service as much as I do. You get a real sense of belonging.”
Of the many projects undertaken by Phi Theta Kappa chapters across the world, the ones currently underway at Lake Land include the PTK College Project and the Honors in Action (HIA) project.
Kyra Hazelton, sitting PTK Vice President, clarified that both projects “are actually kind of intertwined.” “What we’re doing,” said Hazelton, “is going through the [LLC] archives and just cleaning them up.” “We really need to just make sure we have [the archives] in tip-top shape,” added the Vice President.
At their core, according to Housh, Hazelton and PTK Treasurer Morgan Livingston, cleaning and reorganizing the archives is all about preserving Lake Land’s history, which is coming up on 60 years in 2026. “We want to really [be able to] highlight parts of Lakeland’s history that people don’t know about,” elaborated Livingston.
Housh also commented, “I’m thrilled about us having the opportunity to work together to restore Lake Land’s archives, since this project really connects us to the campus and its history.”
Aside from the many service opportunities, a major benefit of joining PTK is the multitudinous scholarship opportunities available to members. These range from Lake Land specific scholarships to opportunities coming straight from the organization itself. There are even scholarships available for students who transfer at “most 4-year universities” that can be “$1,000 plus,” provided Reynolds.
Reynolds highlighted a club scholarship for active members, with recipients being drawn in the Fall and Spring semesters. The advisor also noted the PTK international scholarships, including one from Coca-Cola, which have been received by a select number of active members in the past, including Lake Land’s very own!
Service projects, leadership building and scholarships are not the only things to look forward to when joining Phi Theta Kappa. At Lake Land College, members can also anticipate an invitation to an Honors Banquet. This delightful banquet hosts the many PTK and Honors students at LLC, where their accomplishments throughout their time as participants in these programs are recognized.
When asked if there was anything else Reynolds would like to leave the students of LLC with in regards to the everlasting impact of PTK, he commented, “Being part of PTK can be transformative no matter how much a student puts into the club, and it is such a great experience to see students walk across the graduation stage with their bright yellow PTK stoles.”
