Eta Gamma holds recognition celebration and induction

The Eta Gamma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Coffeyville Community College celebrated their 12th Annual Recognition Celebration May 4, 2008, at 2:00 p.m. in the Spencer/Rounds Theatre on the CCC campus. The theme for the event was “The Skilled, the Valued, and the Educated. Texas A&M University-Commerce served as the official event sponsor and provided the keynote speaker as well as door prizes. John Greenfield, 2008 Kansas Most Distinguished Alumnus and Pam Howe, 2008 Paragon Awardee, served as marshals for the processional of chapter graduates and new inductees.

Chance Harmon, 2008 Eta Gamma and Kansas Region Phi Theta Kappa President, introduced those persons at the head table while Alysia Johnston, Vice President for Learning, brought greetings from the CCC administration, faculty and staff. Linda McFate, Eta Gamma Chapter Advisor for the past fifteen years addressed the topic, “Difference Makers: Reflections of an Advisor.” She shared quotations from Pericles, Abraham Lincoln and the Harry Potter book, The Chamber of Secrets, to challenge the Eta Gamma members to become “difference makers” by touching the lives of others.

Dr. Ben Cranor, assistant professor, industrial engineering and technology, at Texas A&M University-Commerce was the keynote speaker for the afternoon. The title of his address was “The Skilled, the Valued, and the Educated.” “The Skilled” represent the skills a future employee is seeking from a new graduate such as personal, interpersonal, and basic. “The Valued” are values such as loyalty, commitment, integrity, reliability, positive self esteem and confidence and “The Educated” according to Dr. Cranor are represented by the technical skills that are obtained while attending school.

Three chapter initiatives for service were presented by John Greenfield, Sarah McClenning and Pam Howe. They included such opportunities as the Coffeyville Area Relay for Life, Project Graduation, and The Heart Connection, a summer camping program for children with cancer in Boone, Iowa. The local chapter has been asked to help with the camp June 8-10. Chapter advisor Linda McFate was in charge of the presentation of chapter and individual awards assisted by Michael Steen, Chance Harmon, and Danny Funk. Chapter awards on the regional level included the Scholarship, Leadership, and Service Hallmarks as well as Continued Excellence, and Chapter Communication and Sister Chapter Award Honorable Mention. On the international level, the chapter received the Alumni Community Association Award of Merit for 2008. Only one of these is award internationally. The chapter also received the Scholarship Hallmark, the Beta Alpha Continued Excellence, Top 100 Chapter Certificate, Five Star Program, Five Star Level and the Project Graduation Certificate.

Individual Awards on the Kansas Region level included: All-Kansas Academic Team Members, Shanna Ward and Ashley Ofuokwu; Distinguished Chapter Member, Chance Harmon; Distinguished Chapter Officer, Teresa Menefee; and Distinguished Chapter President, Shanna Ward; achievement in both art and literature, honorable mention, Darcy Hurlbutt; Paragon Award for new advisors, Pam Howe, and Distinguished Alumnus, Johnie Greenfield. Linda McFate and Pam Howe received Honorary Horizon Awards from the Iowa Region. On the international level, Chance Harmon, Teresa Menefee, Shanna Ward, and Pam Howe won their respective categories.

Several special awards were presented by Dr. Ben Cranor to students attending Texas A&M University-Commerce this fall. A copy of the book, Louis Johnson and the Arming of America, the Roosevelt and Truman Years written by university president Dr. Keith D. McFarland was presented to Ashley Ofuokwu, Brooklyne Johnson, Shehan Fernando, and Mayumi Furuichi. A plaque was also presented to Ashley for receiving the $2,000 Linda McFate Transfer Scholarship at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

The Eta Gamma Chapter presented its most prestigious faculty recognition, the Golden Apple Award, to instructor Carolyn Nelson for her assistance to the chapter and individual members. Mike McClenning and Mark Muller were presented Honorary Chapter Memberships for their assistance with the chapter’s Operation Green Service Project.

The chapter recognized their spring inductees with a white rose, symbol of the Society. New inductees included: Melissa Abbott, Jusif Abudu, Jared Arbuckle, Dona Baldwin, Thiago Barbosa, Monica Beason, Carrie Blaes, Suzanne Brown, Cody Buchanan, Marilyn Crandall, David Dodard, Carolyn Durbin, Michael Durbin, Omar El Jazouli, Ryan Evans, Priscilla Gadelha, Megan Gilfillan, Sarah Graham, Donna Hemstock, Samantha Henry, Elijah Hershey, Katherine Inman, Akihiro Katsura, Alicia, Kimrey, Justin Kraft, Jason Kramer, Tyler Lansangan, Brianna Lee, Kerry Lee, Nicole Lukachinsky, Megan Mangels, Steven Mason, Jacob Mitcheltree, Papy Muntumosi, Saaya Nakahara, Christine Neer, Matt Nelson, Mary Nicholson, Momoko Otsuka, Timothy Oyler, Valerie Portwood, Samantha Quackenbush, Alec Rigdon, Dayne Riley, Elizabeth Ross, Nathaniel Rankin, Allison Royland, Nicole Santorella, Sandra Simpson, Torwin Smart, Tiffany Smith, Kristin Stanley, Michael Stice, William Stoner, Yukie Takaku, Kacie Wilson.

The spring 2008 chapter graduates were recognized during a ceremony at which they received their graduation regalia and diploma seals. Assisting with the ceremony were Marlon Thornburg, Alysia Johnston, Linda McFate, Dr. Ben Cranor, Sarah McClenning, Michael Steen, and Chance Harmon. The graduates included: Jared Arbuckle, Robin Barone, Israel Bisoni, Cody Buchanan, Colton Bustos, Hannah Carter, Clayton Collins, Samantha Cosby, Brandon Cox, Marilyn Crandall, Tiffany Crum, Susana Cruz, Syeeda Echols, Rachel Elsheimer, Shehan Fernando, Mayumi Furuichi, Dawn Green, Anthony Hill, Marco Hunter, Darcy Hurlbutt, Arthusa Iron, Brooklyne Johnson, Derek Kerley, Alicia Kimrey, Kunle Kola, Justin Kraft, Brianna Lee, Kerry Lee, Rodolfo Lucas, Sarah McClenning, Melody Mullin, Christine Neer, Nickolas Norris, Ashley Ofuokwu, Lucas Ortiz, Andrew Peterman, Stacy Polkinghorne, Jennifer Powell, Alec Rigdon, Charity Rogers, Elizabeth Ross, Ashley Rowe, Nicole Santorella, Sandra Simpson, Kristin Stanley, Phillip Sweaney, Yukie Takaku, Victoria Thomas, Franny Wade, Megan Walterscheid, and Alexander West.

Following the graduates’ ceremony, there was a butterfly release in the campus fountain area hosted by chapter alumnus Rachael Ramon and a reception hosted by Shari and Darcy Hurlbutt. Also assisting with the event were Jamie Fisher, photographer; Chris Cameron, technician; Janice Lair, processional; and Marsha VanDyne, programs.