ACC PTK Chapter Receives National Honor
The Alvin Community College Mu Upsilon Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society was recognized nationally for its community service and research project on the role of fear as a motivator.
The National Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society awarded the ACC chapter with the 2020 Distinguished Theme Award for the chapter’s Honors in Action project. ACC was honored during the recent Phi Theta Kappa Catalyst National Convention.
‘I am so very proud of our Phi Theta Kappa chapter’s thoughtful research project on transformation, change and the role fear can play as a motivator,” ACC President Dr. Christal M. Albrecht said. “Students who participated in the project or the survey were very candid about their fears and how they shaped their lives and their success as students and individuals. I can see why our project was chosen for the award. Outstanding!’
“Receipt of this award was a tremendous surprise, and it is a great honor to see all the chapter's hard work being recognized,” said Keith Vyvial, ACC English instructor and Mu Upsilon co-advisor.
The Mu Upsilon’s Honors in Action project “Transforming Fear into a Positive Attribute” helped defined the causes of fear, strategies to overcome it and methods to make it a positive attribute. The project also included a survey to allow participants to explore their own personal fears and share them.
“Completion of this project involved extensive quantitative and qualitative research,” Vyvial said. “It has provided strong motivation to continue the hard work on future projects.”
Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society of two-year colleges. Members follow four hallmarks, including scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship. To be eligible for Phi Theta Kappa, students must have completed at least 12 college credit hours at ACC and maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or above.
More than 4,000 ACC students have been inducted into Phi Theta Kappa since the ACC Mu Upsilon Chapter was created in 1963. Students in Phi Theta Kappa participate in community projects and research projects during their time in the organization.