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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