May 1, 2008

East Arkansas Community College-Forrest City
Press Release-Photo Attached

Students from the East Arkansas Community College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa recently traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to attend the National PTK Conference. Phi Theta Kappa is an international honorary society that bases its acceptance of members solely upon their academic achievement.

Travelers from EACC included PTK sponsor, Daniel Page, and students Kimberly Davis, Jason Ring, Rayshel Culbreath, and Victoria May. The students, as members of PTK, have taken on active service roles in the EACC chapter.

The annual conference sessions focused primarily on leadership, service, and character development which are pillars of PTK and its mission. The group also visited numerous historical sites in the Philadelphia area including Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell, Carpenter’s Hall – home of the first meeting of the Continental Congress, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Christ’s Church, the Betsy Ross House, the National Constitution Center, and other historical sites.

“Philadelphia is not scheduled to be on the rotation of host cities for the annual conference for several more years,” said Daniel Page, PTK sponsor. “With Philadelphia being a place of such great historical significance, it was extremely fortunate for these students to have the opportunity to see these important national landmarks and to visit  where so many founding families lived and served to create the nation we live in today.”

To be eligible for membership, students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have completed at least 12 hours of coursework leading to an Associate Degree. The EACC chapter of PTK is Beta Zeta Gamma.

Established by Missouri two-year college presidents in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society serves to recognize and encourage the academic achievements of two-year college students. PTK provides opportunities for individual growth and development through honors, leadership and service programming. PTK is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 1.3 million members and 1,200 chapters located in the United States, U.S. Territories, Canada, and Germany.

Photo: Daniel Page, PTK sponsor and students Rayshel Culbreath, Victoria May and Jason Ring. Not pictured is Kimberly Davis.