News

By Alex Freeman, MCC Communications Specialist

Montcalm Community College’s Alpha Tau Alpha (ATA) Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society inducted 11 new members during a formal ceremony March 14 on the college’s Sidney campus. 

To earn an invitation for membership in PTK, current students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and have completed at least 12 credit hours at MCC. 

New members include Cortney Hill, of Sheridan; Sophia Friedrich, of Palo; Nina Easey, of Carson City; Kailey Ingraham, of Greenville; Ayla Evans, of Lakeview; Thomas Zinn, of Vestaburg; Zachary Yanakeff, of Greenville; Greg Olmstead, of Lakeview; David Pitts, of Riverdale; Alan Keller, of Blanchard; and Madalyn Crawford, of Sand Lake. 

“Inductions represent a fresh start,” said ATA Co-advisor Sara Rittersdorf, who is a chemistry instructor at MCC. “It is encouraging to hear stories of student success that began when they started here at MCC. What means the most is finding students taking their education in their own hands and celebrating those successes.” 

Fellow ATA Co-advisor Jennifer VanderSlik, a part-time English instructor as well as a Writing Center consultant at MCC, said the induction ceremonies always take her back to her own, which was in 2006. 

“Induction ceremonies are at the top of my list for my favorite activities we do in Phi Theta Kappa,” VanderSlik said. “I love celebrating the academic successes of our newest members with their family and friends. PTK has really had a large impact on my life, and I see induction ceremonies as the key that opens the door for our students to have similar impacts on their lives.” 

During the induction ceremony, MCC President Dr. Bradley Barrick applauded the students for their efforts in achieving such heights and encouraged them to take advantage of the opportunity in front of them as new PTK members. 

“This honor is not simply a reflection of your past accomplishments — it is a testament to your potential,” Dr. Barrick said. “It is an invitation to continue striving for excellence, to seek out new challenges, and to push the boundaries of what you can achieve. You have set a standard for yourself that will inspire you throughout your academic career and beyond.” 

While there are plenty of benefits to being a Phi Theta Kappa member, perhaps the biggest benefit is member students gaining access to nearly $37 million in exclusive transfer scholarships to approximately 750 four-year colleges and universities to continue their education. 

“Many students also like the ability to list their membership on their resumé,” VanderSlik said. “There are also many opportunities for members to sharpen the soft skills that so many employers are looking for through the PTK Edge programs and getting involved in chapter projects on campus.” 

The ATA Chapter of PTK has now grown into a four-star chapter through the hard work of its members and co-advisors. The points of the star represent the PTK requirements of Reach, Engage, Network, Lead and Discover. The recent completion of the Lead requirement earned ATA its fourth star, with the pre-requisites including implementing a joint leadership project by the chapter and college administration, submitting a college project for a Hallmark Award entry and submitting an entry for one or more individual Hallmark Award categories. 

The inductees joined more than 1,000 ATA members inducted since the MCC chapter was chartered in 1991 and more than three million PTK members worldwide. 

For more information about the club and its activities, contact VanderSlik at jenniferv@montcalm.edu or Rittersdorf at sara.rittersdorf@montcalm.edu.