A new wave of Dallas College students have stepped into leadership at the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
Six students were inducted into the Alpha Zeta Eta chapter at North Lake Campus during the ceremony held in the Student Life Center on April 12.
Including Faith Lungu, who became president of PTK at NLC, a position which former officers encouraged her to seek. “I was welcomed with open arms which really helped,” she said.
“I really enjoyed the vibe and the lessons we learned … I grew to love the chapter which made me feel like I could be a part of something greater.”
New vice president officers inducted were Britny Kranig of service; Nieves Turcios of scholarship; Vidhi Bhakta of communications; Habiba Kouadio of leadership; and Valentine Anuligo of membership.
“When I heard the news, I was beaming with joy,” Kouadio said. “I was very excited but with that excitement came anxiety.” She is nervous about being able to manage her grades and the hours she will need to put into PTK but that will not stop her from trying her best.
“One of the worst feelings you could have is looking back at your life and thinking to yourself, ‘I could have done better, [or] I should have tried harder,’ and I don’t want to do that,” Kouadio said. “I want to look back and be able to say, ‘Yes, I did it.’”
During the ceremony, Lungu was given a medal by the outgoing officers which almost brought her to tears. She said, “[I] felt truly honored to be thought of as someone qualified and good enough to take on such a heavy role in this organization.”
She hopes the chapter will get more engagement from the student body. “The skills that we build are what help us grow in life,” Lungu said.
Kouadio said one of the highlights of the ceremony was the speech from their adviser, Sherry Boyd. “Everyone has a story,” Kouadio said. “I’m truly grateful she decided to share her story. Hopefully, that will inspire others to share their stories as well.”
Kouadio has been inspired by another adviser Rhonda Hayes, in a different way. “Many times me and professor Hayes sit down and talk,” she said.
“She encourages me to never stop speaking out as well as making sure I’m staying up to date and involved in the affairs of the world around us.”
Lungu hopes to make changes in the world and help marginalized people. She wants to attend a prestigious school such as UT Austin, Yale or Georgetown to become an international human rights lawyer.
Being part of PTK, there are many scholarships members can apply for as an honors transfer college student.
Any student interested in joining PTK can follow their Instagram page, @nlc.phithetakappa. Students need to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher to be accepted into the program. Email djenson@dallascollege. edu to learn more.
“I want people to know about this organization and to realize that the benefits and friendships are absolutely worth it,” Lungu said.