About 30 students are members of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society at Bakersfield College, but membership builds significantly during the spring semester.
Phi Theta Kappa started at BC about seven years ago. Matt Shaw heads the organization and the club adviser is Tom Greenwood.
“There are 10 active members and 30 total paying members,” Shaw said. “The reason for the increase in membership during the spring semester is because of the scholarships given out right before graduation. Being a member of PTK looks really good on your transcripts.”
Phi Theta Kappa participates in community service with the Habitat For Humanity and other charities and organizations. All volunteers at Habitat For Humanity help build houses for those who can’t afford them.
“Habitat For Humanity involves sweat equity which basically means that poor people who can’t afford a house, get out there and actually help build their own house and they are allowed to buy it for the cost of the building materials, with no charge for labor,” Shaw said. “It’s a really good program and it’s something anybody on campus can come out and do, not just PTK. We are hoping to get some of the other clubs on campus to participate.”
Phi Theta Kappa’s purpose is to recognize and encourage scholarship among two-year college students.
Established in 1918 by Missouri two-year college presidents, Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 1.3 million members and 1,100 chapters located in the United States, U.S. territories, Canada, Germany and Japan.
Annually, more than 82,000 students are inducted into Phi Theta Kappa.
Members of Phi Theta Kappa may apply for more than $30 million in transfer scholarships, provided exclu-sively to society members by more than 500 institutions. They also can have their membership in the inter-national honor society noted on their transcript, contingent on their college’s policy.