Spartanburg Community College Holds Historic Chartering Ceremony for New Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

SPARTANBURB, SC – April 27, 2011 – History was recently made at Spartanburg Community College (SCC) with the induction of 150 students into the College’s new Beta Sigma Psi (BSP) chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), an international honor society for two-year colleges. SCC students were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements and for embodying Phi Theta Kappa’s fundamental hallmarks – scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship- at a chartering and induction ceremony on April 8 at the SCC central campus. 

We are grateful to Dr. Berta Hopkins and the other faculty advisors, Jenny Williams and Marshall Evans, for their hard work and commitment to our students in establishing the Beta Sigma Psi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa here at Spartanburg Community College,” said SCC President Dr. Para M. Jones. “We are also very proud of the of SCC students who are our charter members of PTK, and of the students who have stepped forward to be the charter officers of our PTK chapter. This is an historic event for our College and a strong testimony to our commitment to student success.
 
Established in Missouri in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 2.5 million members and 1,250 chapters in the United States, U.S. territories, Canada and Germany. To receive a membership invitation, students are required to complete a minimum of 12 hours of associate degree course work and earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. Benefits of PTK membership include opportunities for individual growth and development through honor, leadership and service programs, as well as access to more than $37 million in college transfer scholarships to more than 700 senior institutions.
 
SCC’s Beta Sigma Psi’s chapter faculty advisors are Dr. Berta Hopkins, science department chair; Jenny Williams, academic director of English and Humanities; Marshall Evans, English instructor; and Dawn Larrieu, culinary arts program director.
 
Traci Trouton-Burr, PTK member and president of the Alpha Omega Carolinas Regional Alumni Association, was the ceremony guest speaker and served as the PTK representative at the event. She spoke to SCC inductees about the tremendous opportunity that awaits them through their PTK membership, now and in the future.

“The opportunities for you to shine, for you to expand through your education, are unlimited. From the first six members of Phi Theta Kappa in 1918 to your membership tonight in the new SCC PTK chapter, we have grown to more than 2.5 million members,” explained Trouton-Burr. “You should be very proud – you are the elite of the elite at SCC. Congratulations!”
 
The following SCC students were elected as the chartering officers of Beta Sigma Psi:

President – Frank Strohmeier
Vice President – Robinson Moore
Treasurer – Mary Thomas
Recording Secretary – Brandie Lovin
Public Relations Secretary – Claudia Floyd
 
Strohmeier, an SCC student from Jonesville, S.C. pursuing an associate degree in SCC’s engineering technology program, was elected BSP president by the faculty advisors.

“Being initiated into Phi Theta Kappa means becoming a member of a larger scholarly society. It opens up so many doors. Not only is it an honor to be recognized for your academic achievements, but it looks great on a resume too,” said Strohmeier. 
The following SCC students were inducted into Beta Sigma Psi:

Abigail K. Abernathy
Jennifer Abrahams-Wilber
Douglas T. Allison
Jennifer Lynn Alonso Escamilla
Christopher Barnett
Debra A. Beheler
Jennifer L. Besseau
Julie Ann Black
Victoria D. Blackwell
Dustin Wayne Bobo
Victoria Antoinette Brewton
Kaci D. Brock
Jason Thomas Broome
Kathy J. Brown
Valerie F. Bryant
William Floyd Burch, Jr.
David Phillip Caldwell
India M. Caldwell
Chastity G. Callicott
Anthony E. Cancer
Becky S. Casey
Lian G. Carvajal
Caitlin Marie Chaney
Meghan Diana Chaney
Jill Leanne Christopherson
Delbi Ann Collins
Megan A. Collins
Jennifer J. Coppola
Gaden M. Corpening
Teresa C. Cox
Kimberly D. Daniel
Doritha L. Davis
Loretta Demko
Shawn L. Dillard
Tammy Laura Dimsdale
Taurean Travanti Dover
Iris A. Earls
Corinthian L. Edwards
Sydney K. Esposito
Crystal N. Fletcher
Claudia B. Floyd
James Timothy Fuller
Anthony D. Fuqua
Jennifer E. Gault
Yasmine Roche Gault
Tashia N. George
Kenneth Anthony Graham
Felicia m. Grantmaier
Cheryl Kay Green
Tiffany L. Gregory
Steven H. Grizzle
Susan L. Harley
Reginald Thomas Harrelson
James Richard Heenehan
Steven C. Hendrick
Matthew E. Hicks
Matthew Kendall Holliday
Jeffrey T. Howard
Gary L. Hudson
Melissa A. Hughes
Mia C. Hughey
Rena Rayshell Hunter
Cammie Marie Hurst
Sandy Inthaphosan
Steven L. Jackson
Lateal Anqunet Jant
Benjamin Johnson
Stephanie Johnson
Ashley C. Jones
Cornell Daniel Kahla III
Michael S. Karski
Joshua Samuel Kauffman
Rebecca Lynne King
John R. Kuznicki
Cecil K. Lambert
Mary Larrieu
Joel Addison Leksen
Monica R. Levitt
Sara Pearl Liebowitz
Natalie Jean Linfante
Brandie Lovin
Christina N. Lowery
Brittany P. Lyda
Elaine T. Lytle
Kimberly V. MacKerson
Kevin Wayne Markland
Christopher T. Martin
James Dale McBee
Johnathan D. McConaha
Jason W. McEntire
Derrill S. McKelvey
Crystal D. McLellan
Andrew Jesse McSwain
Derinda Michelle Meade
Diana Mendoza
Robinson William Moore
Renee M. Moriarty
Eric Hunter Munson
Joel P. Neuder
John N. Nicholson
Dustin Blake Ogle
Erik Michael Osterud
Vivek Patel
Jonathan G. Payne
Thomas Marten Philbeck
Bethany L. Phipps
Jarried C. Pille
Megan K. Rouse
Michael A. Ruchala
Jimmy Jay Ruppe
Raissa Wildrice Samouo Ndfang
Jessica Paige Sarratt
Jessica Brooke Schultz
Charles Tyler Scoggins
Cassandra A. Scott
Riviane B. Seudio Ndjofang
Kim Winona Smith
Kimberly A. Smith-Hyatt
William E. Sneed
Joey R. Stamey
Lindsay M. Steadman
Joseph John Stefanelli
Cheyenne Nicole Stewart
Frank J. Strohmeier
Stephanie N. Strong
Pamela D. Stuart
Sandra D. Sullivan
Susan Denise Suttles
Kathy L. Thomas
Mary E. Thomas
Mary Tinsley
Raechelle E. Trotter
Ashley Michelle Turner
Donna Elizabeth Vassey
Haley D. Walker
Heidi E. Walsh
Pamela Kay Ward
Tammy W. Warr
Joshua T. Weathers
Lamar T. West
Randall Joshua Wheeler
Tabitha Y. Wiggleton
Delois A. Wilmore
Lillian J. Wilson
Cindy Rae Wolford
Tarica T. Young
Tracy Williams Young

Registration for SCC summer and fall classes is ongoing and summer classes begin on May 16. Individuals interested in applying to the College for the summer and fall semesters can apply online or contact the SCC Admissions Center in Spartanburg at (864) 592-4800 or toll free (866) 591-3700. For a complete listing of summer and fall class schedule offerings, visit www.sccsc.edu/academics/search.aspx.

 
About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, is the largest honor society in higher education with 1,270 chapters on college campuses in all 50 of the United States, Canada, Germany, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands, the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. More than 2.5 million students have been inducted s
ince its founding in 1918, with approximately 125,000 students inducted annually.
 
About Spartanburg Community College.
Recently named one of the fastest-growing colleges in the nation according to Community College Week, SCC offers more than 100 academic programs of study including associate degrees, diplomas and certificates, plus University Transfer opportunities to four-year colleges and universities. SCC provides flexible class scheduling including day, evening, weekend and FlexStart classes in addition to more than 100 online classes through SCCOnline. Offering the lowest tuition in the region, convenient locations, and regional/national accreditations, SCC offers educational opportunities leading to high-growth, high-demand jobs. The SCC Corporate & Community Education Division provides job and career enhancement, workforce development, personal enrichment courses and customized training programs.