MVCC students recognized with Phi Theta Kappa Regional Awards

MVCC students named to Phi Theta Kappa All-New York Academic Team were honored at the PTK New York Regional Convention this spring. From left: Janell Smith, MVCC President Randall VanWagoner, Sadia Abakar.

This spring, Mohawk Valley Community College’s Lambda Beta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, along with several members of the chapter leadership team, earned awards at the PTK New York Regional Convention.

The following students were named to the All-New York Academic Team: 

  • Sadia Abakar of Utica, Health Sciences; PTK Lambda Beta Chapter Vice President for Scholarship. Abakar also was named a 2023 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Bronze Scholar.
  • Janell Smith of Utica, Health Sciences.
  • Zavia Allen of Utica, Biology.

MVCC's Lambda Beta Chapter of PTK received the following awards:

  • Five Star Chapter Award: Five-star status is the highest level of achievement a chapter can attain through participation in campus, local, regional, national, and international activities.
  • REACH Chapter Award: Recognizes PTK chapters that achieve or exceed a 15% increase in membership.
  • Most Distinguished Honors in Action Project Theme Award: Recognizes the chapters whose entries scored the highest in a specific theme. This year’s overall theme was “The Art and Science of Play,” and MVCC’s Lambda Beta Chapter won for Theme 5: Soul of Play. For their project, students researched the benefits of creativity and how to develop it. They then assembled creative art supply kits to be distributed to local adolescents.
  • Distinguished College Project Award: Recognizes the top PTK chapter projects, which serve to address a college need and serve the college mission.
  • New York Region Edgiest Chapter Award: Celebrates PTK chapters with the most members who completed the Competitive Edge Development Program.
  • Excellence in Community Service: Recognizes chapters that have provided its members with service opportunities and completed at least one community service project.
  • Excellence in Digital Media Award: Recognizes the maintenance of a Facebook page or Instagram account or a website that documents chapter events and activities.
  • Leadership Award: Recognizes chapters that promote leadership among members, non-members, or the college through training sessions, workshops, projects, and activities.
  • Most Distinguished Chapter Officer: PTK Lambda Beta Chapter Vice President for Honors in Action Aidan Ferguson of Newport, a Video Production major, was named Most Distinguished Chapter Officer Runner-up.

About Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.8 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 countries, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more about Phi Theta Kappa.