By Yaw Anum, President, Phi Theta Kappa Alpha Psi Sigma Chapter
The Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) New England Regional Conference this year was a sight to behold. Hosted by Bristol Community College in Fall River, Massachusetts, the event was brought to life by regional coordinators Trisha Dionne and Thayre Trzepacz, the iconic duo, whose enthusiasm and genuine care for students make every regional gathering a memorable experience.
This conference serves as a bastion of knowledge for all PTK members across the New England region to learn from one another. Pattie Van Atter from PTK Headquarters delivered a powerful and inspiring presentation that left us feeling motivated and excited about the opportunities ahead. Institutions from around the region presented transfer opportunities for students hoping to transition to a four-year institution.
We arrived at Bristol Community College’s beautiful campus, with perfectly laid-out directions guiding us to the auditorium, where goodie bags and a breakfast spread were waiting for us. As always, my friend Ryan Reynolds from Massasoit Community College ran over to greet us with a big hug. There is truly no feeling like being in the midst of the PTK New England family; the joy and love felt there are unmatched.
Our chapter had even more reason to celebrate! We leant that we earned a perfect score for our College Project last year: Building Community Through Recognition, which we developed in collaboration with Dr. Christopher Thuot, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Miah Dreger, Dean of STEM. The project aimed to improve student retention by building a stronger sense of belonging through showcasing and celebrating students’ classroom projects and academic achievements. We also achieved an outstanding score of 98.5% for our Honors in Action project, Stories That Sustain, which explored how storytelling and hands-on experiences can inspire environmental awareness and meaningful action. Hence, we were one of the presenters.
As we listened to and watched the majestic presentations of our fellow PTKappans, we felt nothing but admiration for their intense drive. And in a sense, our goals were aligned in principle. Our presentation, Stories That Sustain, demonstrated how storytelling, experiential learning, and student-authored narratives can help communicate environmental sustainability in ways that connect with people. We are deeply grateful to our friend Jim Danko, Assistant Director of Communications who patiently edited and promptly published our narratives, helping us spread our message of environmental sustainability across campus and throughout the wider community.
Presenting our work at a regional conference was a proud moment for us. Standing there, representing STCC, I realized something powerful: it doesn’t matter where your college journey begins; what matters is how far you are willing to go and the difference you choose to make along the way. The conference also reminded us that PTK is much more than an academic honor society. It is a family, a community of students who challenge, support, and inspire one another. Through PTK, we develop leadership skills, build lifelong connections, discover scholarship and transfer opportunities, and find meaningful ways to serve our communities.
To my fellow STCC students, I have one message: Don’t let your college experience begin and end in the classroom. We went to the conference to learn and share our story, but we returned with new inspiration, friendships, and a renewed commitment to making a difference. Our story is still being written. Why not become part of it? Do join us to discover how far your own story can take you.
