Pictured L-R are PTK officers: Mallory Santana, Gisselle Morales, Caitlin Walsh, Ryan Salinas (Not pictured: Joanna Neumann)
Victoria College’s Zeta Gamma Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society has been named a Five-Star Chapter for the first time in more than a decade, earning the highest level of recognition available through the organization’s national chapter development program.
Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for students at two-year colleges, recognizing academic excellence, leadership, service, and fellowship. The Zeta Gamma Chapter serves as VC’s official PTK chapter, with Michael Croisant and Kelly Kinto serving as faculty advisors.
The Five-Star Chapter Plan is designed to guide college chapters in meaningful, student-centered engagement aligned with PTK’s four hallmarks: scholarship, leadership, service, and fellowship. Chapters are evaluated annually based on their activities, member involvement, and impact in these areas.
Over the past year, VC’s Zeta Gamma Chapter actively recruited new members, completed specialized training tied to the PTK hallmarks, and sent student representatives to the PTK Regional Conference in Houston.
A key component in achieving Five-Star status was the chapter’s Honors in Action Project, which focused on researching and reporting on the lasting effects of Hurricane Harvey on the Victoria community, along with VC’s specific response to the disaster.
“Becoming a Five-Star Chapter takes sustained effort, planning, and collaboration,” said Kelly Kinto, PTK advisor. “From research and service projects to leadership development and conference participation, our students committed themselves fully to the process. Watching them grow and earn this level of recognition has been incredibly rewarding.”
In addition, the chapter completed its College Project, titled “Kappans Advancing Scholarship & Student Success.” Through this initiative, PTK students partnered with VC faculty to connect with dual credit students enrolled in online courses, helping ease the transition into higher education.
Learn more about VC’s PTK chapter at VictoriaCollege.edu/StudentOrganizations.