Essay Example on Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Every student strives for success and achieving great accomplishments in regards to their career choices. It is not certain that one may acquire the valedictorian award that is often given to few students who perform highly during their high school. Awards such as the Phi Theta Kappa provides everyone with the opportunity to better themselves and be outstanding from the rest and hence a membership that is worth consideration.

The mission of Phi Theta Kappa is to recognize academic achievement of college students and to provide opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders (PTKHS, 2017). Therefore, it has the dual purpose of identifying and motivating academic progress while at the same time presenting opportunities for growth in regards to leadership, fellowship, honors in addition to service. It is perceived to be the biggest honor society in higher education in the U.S. that contains more than 1300 chapters in campuses in each state. It is also present in Peru, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Germany, the Republic of Palau, the British Virgin Islands, U.S. territorial possessions and the Federated States of Micronesia. The award was found in 1918 whereby it induces an approximate of a hundred and thirty-five thousand students on an annual basis. It has taken in more than three million students (PTKHS, 2017).

The benefits associated with being a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society entail receiving recognition for the exemplary academic achievements in addition to one gaining an advantage in regards to the competitive edge that assist him or her in future endeavors. It is viewed that the benefits completely differ from other honors in the collegiate society. For example, in the aspect of gaining a competitive edge, being a member of the PTKHS, one has; access to $37 million in regards to scholarship opportunities, opportunity for his or her name to appear in the anthology of Phi Theta Kappa's, the advantage of having personalized recommendation letter when it comes to seeking employment and scholarships, in addition to particular benefits, discounts and financial favors from the Phi Theta Kappa Corporate Partners that include the Bank of America and the GEICO (PTKHS, 2017).

Wilcox, from a study that he conducted on the impact that the Phi Theta Kappa Leadership Development Studies had on the behavior students, asserts that, The specific gains in learning may suggest an increase in the general transformational skills of community college students who participated in the Phi Theta Kappa Leadership Development Studies course and, thus, substantiates the efficacy of the course (Wilcox, 2004). Therefore, being a member of the Phi Theta Kappa allows one to develop adequate leadership skills that will assist in his or her future career endeavors.

Marlowe, in her article Effects of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society on student success explains that the gap between students in various community colleges and those under the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society was quite high and hence showing that students in the PTKHS program performed exemplary when compared to the rest (Marlowe, 2016). She states, Tests of significance were not needed to assist the audience of this research in determining the definite impact of PTKHS on student success, (Marlowe, 2016).

As stated earlier, awards such as the Phi Theta Kappa provides everyone with the opportunity to better themselves and be outstanding from the rest and hence a membership that is worth consideration. Being a member of the PTKHS develops one holistically in the sense that one achieves academic success in addition to good character. Therefore, it is important for students to apply for membership in the program.

References

Marlowe, M. (2016). Effects of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society on student success (Doctoral dissertation, Mississippi State University).

PTKHS. (2017). Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Ptk.org. Retrieved 20 April 2017, from https://www.ptk.org/

Wilcox, B. A. (2004). Leadership Development of Community College Students: Does Participation in the Phi Theta Kappa Leadership Development Studies Course Have an Effect on the Development of Leadership Behaviors?. West Virginia University Libraries.