Inaugural Phi Theta Kappa Collegewide Induction Ceremony

April 25, 2024 / Our Nighthawks

More than 180 people gathered in Annandale’s Richard J. Ernst Community Cultural Center on Friday, April 19, for NOVA’s inaugural collegewide Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) induction ceremony. In total, more than 220 students have joined NOVA’s six PTK chapters since January 2024. The induction ceremony is designed to both officially welcome students into their chapter and honor their academic achievements. This spring, members of all six NOVA chapters came together to take their pledge and celebrate with family, friends and the larger NOVA community.

At the induction ceremony, Dr. Kress provided a warm welcome and praised the chapters’ commitment to the four pillars of PTK — scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship. Here are some examples of our chapters’ recent work in the community:

  • The Annandale chapter hosted a “Clean Up Campus” event combining service and scholarship: Students not only helped beautify the Annandale Campus but also analyzed how soil quality is affected by litter.
  • The Loudoun chapter hosted the following events:
    • A last-minute transfer application essay event
    • An on-campus suicide awareness event 
  • The MEC chapter hosted the following events:
    • An on-campus alcohol and drug awareness table
    • A volunteer opportunity at a FISH food pantry in Warrenton, Va.
  • Woodbridge Chapter President Angel Pino has continued the work he started in high school here at NOVA through PTK. Angel organizes the collection of shoes for those in other countries through an organization called Soles for Souls.

One of NOVA’s history professors, Dr. Margaret Reed, provided the keynote speech at the induction ceremony. Dr. Reed, who was a member of PTK as a NOVA student (Alpha Beta Rho chapter), served as a faculty advisor for the Alpha Beta Rho chapter from 2012 to 2016. She has remained active in Phi Theta Kappa and encouraged our new members to take advantage of all that the organization offers.

A special thanks to all who attended and celebrated our students as well as those who assisted with the event.

Submitted by:
Abbey Jones, Assoc. Dir., Specialty Programs, AJones@nvcc.edu