PTK Induction Ceremony held at Cowley College

On Sunday, March 26, Alpha Gamma Upsilon, the Ark City chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, had its annual Induction Ceremony and All-Academic Team Celebration, officially welcoming sixteen new members to the nationally recognized honors organization. The ceremony was conducted in the Brown Center Wright Room by officers and advisors. Guest speaker Diane Flickinger, who works as a member of Student Support Services in IMPACT and is the Academic Quiz Bowl Sponsor, was also honored with a pin by the officers to show their gratitude for her continued support throughout the year. 

Flickinger’s speech encouraged new members to get involved to reap the benefits that the organization has to offer. She said they were “already positioning [themselves] to stand out” as members of PTK and said to pay attention to the officers as good models, referencing the completed milestones and scholarships they had achieved this year. In addition, she spoke of this generation as being “change-makers” and said that they were “living history,” referring to their triumphs of schooling during the pandemic. She said (like the musical Hamilton), “History has its eyes on you… stand out by being your best self.” 

The All-Kansas Academic Team, Cole Batten, Shaybree Hanes, Zane Hubble, and Ever Villalobos, were recognized for their achievements with a scholarship. A number of students applied for this honor in the fall, and through a series of essays demonstrating their leadership, service, and volunteerism, these students were selected to represent Cowley College at the state level. The students will be honored at a luncheon in Junction City on April 14th, where they will receive medals, and their names will be on a perpetual plaque, and pictures will be displayed in Galle Johnson hall through next year. 

Other awards from the year were also mentioned: in the fall, Arnau Sagrera Barnet was granted the Global Leaders of Promise Scholarship, and this spring, he is a Jack Kent Cooke Semi-Finalist. In March, we learned that Zane Hubble was selected as the 2023 Coca-Cola Academic Team Silver Scholar. At the Spring Regional Conference, Shaybree Hanes received a plaque for her Competitive Edge 5 Star Membership and a certificate for Honorable Mention as Chapter Officer. Additionally, Cole Batten was awarded second place for Achievement in Art. 

The national organization recently provided Alpha Gamma Upsilon “Reach Rewards” for achieving over 15% acceptance rate. It was also mentioned during the ceremony that the chapter achieved five-star status, which is the top level, again this year, thanks to the work of the members and officer team. 

Rama Peroo | Director of Institutional Communication
Cowley College
125 S. 2nd Street
Arkansas City, KS 67005
rama.peroo@cowley.edu