Congratulations to LLCC’s Phi Theta Kappa inductees. The Alpha Epsilon Kappa chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society held its fall induction ceremony on Oct. 23 in the Trutter Center. The keynote speaker was Isaac Barrett, former chapter president. Barrett and another former chapter president, Joey Gallo formally installed the new chapter officers.

The event formally recognizes new members and officers and is conducted in part by the student leaders of the chapter.

• President: Hannah Shoemaker
• Vice President of Science: Jessica Gibson
• Vice President of Scholarship: Zorah Austin
• Vice President of Records: Braden Nicoll
• Vice President of Fellowship: Katie Angulo
• Vice President of Public Relations: Lexie Ebersohl

Students inducted into PTK this fall included:

Victoria Alamu, Paige Alexander, Lexi Aper, Dakota Barker, Syd Carey, Haley Christian, Brennah Dillon, Natalie Dockter, Jamie Edit, Julie Elfgen, Audrey Breann Feagans, Jessica Gibson, Zachary David Hamilton, Olivia Hentzien, Amanda Hoover, Keja Jordan, Amena Kennon, Jamie Kunz, Kara Lynn Lawyer, Sabrina Lewis, Wendie yesenia Porras, Walker Quimby, Cheyenne Reichert, Manuel Lino Rojo Garcia, Yasmeen Salem, Andrew James Sample, Emily J. Sierra, Sophie Skaggs, Morgan Smith, Korbyn M. Stevens, Maretta Sullivan, Latasha N. Sykes, Nichole Tamosaitis, Kavita Vachone Tolliver, Jack H. Waldeck, Breanna Washington and Allyson Whitaker. 

PTK co-advisors are Dr. Gillian Bauer, professor, English, and Ryan Roberts, professor, Library.

LLCC’s Alpha Epsilon Kappa chapter of Phi Theta Kappa received a $420 grant to support the research stage of their annual Honors in Action (HIA) project. The theme of this cycle of HIA projects is “The Power of Stories,” and LLCC’s AEK chapter has drafted a preliminary research question asking, “How is preservation of local black history related to community formation for younger generations?”

This HIA research question acknowledges our community’s conflicted racial history while focusing on the potential to preserve not only stories of pain and trauma, but on the opportunities to celebrate, move forward, and build community, especially in our community’s younger generations.

LLCC’s chapter was one of only seven PTK chapters in the Illinois Region to receive grants this fall. The grant will assist students serving on the chapter’s project committee as they visit three local museums as part of their research process: the Route History Museum, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Abraham Lincoln Home National Historic Site. Each site was chosen for its ability to shed light on the history of race in our local community. The grant will also provide an honorarium for a speaker to facilitate a workshop for PTK Team Members about the ethics of working with marginalized groups.

In partnership with NMDP, the National Marrow Donor Program, Phi Theta Kappa’s blood stem cell and bone marrow donor registry drive continues through today, Oct. 2. Just a simple cheek swab can add someone to the national registry and potentially save a life!

Every year, 18,000 patients are diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers or other blood disorders that could be cured or treated with a blood stem cell transplant. 70% don’t have a fully matched donor in their family.

Potential donors should be:

• Between the ages of 18 and 40
• A resident of the United States or one of its territories or freely associated states
• Able to meet medical guidelines, which will be determined through a brief, private survey

The drive is being held in A. Lincoln Commons today, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Please encourage your students to register or register yourself. The process takes only about 10 minutes.

Learn more on the NMDP website.

Every year, 18,000 patients are diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers or other blood disorders that could be cured or treated with a blood stem cell transplant. 70% don’t have a fully matched donor in their family.

In partnership with NMDP, the National Marrow Donor Program, Phi Theta Kappa is hosting a blood stem cell and bone marrow donor registry drive this week. Just a simple cheek swab can add someone to the national registry and potentially save a life!

Potential donors should be:

• Between the ages of 18 and 40
• A resident of the United States or one of its territories or freely associated states
• Able to meet medical guidelines, which will be determined through a brief, private survey

The drive will be held in A. Lincoln Commons Monday-Wednesday, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Please encourage your students to register or register yourself. The process takes only about 10 minutes.

Learn more about NMDP on their website.