Eight members of Alpha Mu Chi, NTCC’s five-star, award winning chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, attended the Phi Theta Kappa Texas Honors Institute July 26 - 28 on the campus of Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas. During the conference attendees stayed in dorms on the TWU campus and ate in the campus dining hall. All sessions were held on the beautiful tree-filled campus.
The overall conference theme was “Folklore, Fables, and Fairy Tales: The Stories that Connect Us.” Members attended General Sessions which included a story-telling and dance presentation by the Choctaw Cultural Center, Dr. Jerry Coats discussion of Medieval Folk Tales and Fairy Tales, Rwandan genocide survivor, award winning author, and founder of One Million Orphans, Jeanne Celestine Lakin, wellness journalist for Cosmpolitan, Glamour and Women’s Health magazine, Tianna Faye Soto, as well as a panel session with various educators.
After each General Sessions, members attended small-group seminar sessions to discuss the recent presentation and network with other members from around the state. Each evening fellowship activities, including pillow-making, board games, card games, legos, snow cones, ice cream, and more, allowed members to make friends and get to know one another better.
NTCC students presented a workshop with students from Paris Junior College on the roles of chapter officers. NTCC and PJC have often presented together at statewide events and enjoy these opportunity to coordinate. NTCC students also participated in the door decorating contest and friendly district contests between the five Phi Theta Kappa districts within the Texas Region.
"Attending the Texas Honors Institute as a Phi Theta Kappa member was an unparalleled experience. Surrounded by brilliant minds, and passionate leaders, I was inspired to expand my place within PTK and challenged to pursue my leadership role with more vigor than I had started out with. We were surrounded by a wonderfully diverse group of students and leaders, with everyone bringing something different and exciting to the seminars and workshops. I made new connections that would not have been possible without this trip,” noted Sarah Dierflinger.
At the conclusion of the Institute, the Texas Star Scholarships were awarded. Out of 13 total scholarships given out to members from across the state, the top 4 scholarships went to NTCC students: Skylar Hodson, Vanessajane Bayna, Sarah Dierflinger, and Mary-Faith Wilson.
On the way home, members enjoyed the Texas traditions of lunch at Waffle House and a pit stop at Buc-ee’s.
