Washington State College of Ohio Phi Theta Kappa members earn historic All-Ohio Academic Team honors
Trending
The Alpha Rho Gamma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) at Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) members recently earned prestigious state and national recognition.
PTK is the official honor society for two-year colleges, recognizing academic achievement while students develop leadership skills, participate in service projects and prepare for future academic and professional success.
For the past 17 years, Brad Merritt has served as the Chapter Advisor for WSCO’s Alpha Rho Gamma chapter. Following the graduation of longtime chapter president Stacy Jarvis and several key officers, this year marked an opportunity to rebuild and develop a new generation of student leaders.
“Every chapter experiences periods of transition,” said Merritt. “What has impressed me most this year is watching our students step into leadership roles with enthusiasm and determination. Their accomplishments demonstrate the strength and resilience of our chapter, and I couldn’t be more proud of what they have achieved.”
Leading the chapter this year was President Tracey Sawtell, where she earned multiple prestigious honors. Sawtell completed both PTK’s Competitive Edge Professional Development Program and the Leadership Development Program. She was also inducted into the Order of Athena and was recognized by PTK National Headquarters as a Most Distinguished Chapter Officer.
Rose Mary, the chapter’s Vice President of Service, also played a role in the chapter’s success by leading Alpha Rho Gamma’s participation in last fall’s Non-Profit Challenge. Working alongside 22 other nonprofit organizations throughout Southeastern Ohio, the chapter helped collect food for fourteen local food pantries. The chapter looks forward to filling its remaining officer positions during the upcoming fall semester.
This year also marked a historic milestone for Alpha Rho Gamma in the All-Ohio Academic Team competition. For the first time in chapter history, two WSCO students earned first-place honors. Tracey Sawtell and Jocelyn Erb were both recognized with first-place awards, while Rose Mary earned second place and Sara Strahler received third place.
According to the chapter, the All-Ohio Academic Team scholarship application process is highly competitive and recognizes students who excel academically while demonstrating leadership and community service. Merritt praised the accomplishments of all four recipients.
“The All-Ohio Academic Team application process requires an incredible amount of dedication and hard work,” Merritt said. “I am extremely proud of Tracey, Jocelyn, Rose Mary, and Sara for earning this recognition. Their success is a testament to their commitment both inside and outside the classroom.”
Continuing its tradition of community service, Alpha Rho Gamma is currently leading a chapter project focused on addressing food insecurity among veterans throughout the region. As part of this initiative, the chapter will host the Ohio Regional PTK Fall Leadership Conference at WSCO this October. The conference will focus on raising awareness and collecting donations to help provide food for veterans in need across Southeastern Ohio. In addition, Alpha Rho Gamma was recognized as a 5-Star Chapter for the 14th consecutive year, PTK’s highest chapter designation.
As Alpha Rho Gamma looks ahead to another successful year, the chapter welcomed the following as the newest members inducted into PTK:
*Christopher Carpenter
*Jeffrey Douglass
*Jocelyn Erb
*Chase Kincaid
*Jordan Kinney
*Sophia Linscott
*Paige Lockhart
*Rose Mary
*Corey Moore
*Remington Roth
*Tracey Sawtell
*Angela Stahl
*Sara Strahler
*Taylor Watson
*Roger Winebrenner
*Cami Winnell
The chapter also welcomed Greg Mitchell as an Honorary Member in recognition of his support of PTK and its mission. The chapter also presented its Alumna Award to Jennifer Wright.
If you would like to learn more about WSCO’s Alpha Rho Gamma chapter of PTK, contact Chapter Advisor Brad Merritt at bmerritt@wscc.edu.