Awards Pour in for PTK Students
PARAMUS, N.J. – The Bergen Community College Alpha Epsilon Phi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has added to its legacy of excellence this spring, capturing 26 individual and group awards at regional and international conferences. The awards represent the latest in the chapter’s history, which include becoming the top affiliate of the international honor society of two-year colleges in the entire world.
“The members of the Alpha Epsilon Phi chapter continue to set the bar extraordinary high,” co-advisers Anna Gergen and Lisa Mayer said in a joint statement. “We remain incredibly proud of the students’ accomplishments and their commitment to PTK’s hallmarks of scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship.”
Among this year’s honors, student Mateo Armas earned the $5,000 Guistwhite Scholar award as one of only eight students selected from 3,000 applicants. Additionally, student Amanda Morales won the election to serve as New Jersey state president of the Middle States region.
As a group, the chapter secured the REACH, Five-Star and Honors in Action Theme awards recognizing the group’s overall quality, membership and community service initiatives.
Alumni and administrators also took home awards, with alumna Amanda Karpinski Gorman earning induction into the Hall of Honor, co-advisers Mayer and Gergen nabbing both the regional and international Distinguished Chapter Advisor Team Award and the College’s Executive Director of Public Relations Larry Hlavenka, Ed.D., winning the international Distinguished College Administrator Award.
Members of Alpha Epsilon Phi accepted the awards at the organization’s annual conferences that took place in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (regional) and Orlando, Florida (international).
The chapter won the following awards this year:
Middle States Region
· Regional Officer, New Jersey State President - Amanda Morales
· Chapter Officer Hall of Honor - Amelia Urena; Liangy Gomerez
· Chapter Member Hall of Honor - Amanda Morales
· Distinguished Regional Officer Team - Mateo Armas
· Distinguished Chapter Advisor Team Award - Lisa Mayer; Anna Gergen
· Honors in Action Theme Award - Nostalgia as Play
· 1st Most Distinguished Chapter Member - Amanda Morales
· 3rd Most Distinguished Chapter Officer Team - Daniel Gajee; Liangy Gomerez; Lynne Kim; Amelia Urena; Shiwa Yangzom
· 2nd Most Distinguished College Project
· 4th Most Distinguished Chapter Award
· 7th Most Distinguished Honors in Action Project
· Special Recognition for PTK Edge
International
· Beta Alpha Continued Excellence Award
· Top 50 College Project
·. Catalyst Scholar Bowl Champion - Shiwa Yangzom
· Distinguished Chapter Officer Team Award - Mateo Armas; Daniel Gajee; Liangy Gomerez; Lynne Kim; Amelia Urena; Shiwa Yangzom
· Distinguished Chapter Member - Amanda Morales
· Honors Study Case Challenge Winner - Daniela Benitez
· Alumni Hall of Honor - Amanda Karpinski Gorman
· Distinguished Chapter Advisor Team Award - Lisa Mayer; Anna Gergen
· Distinguished College Administrator - Larry Hlavenka, Ed.D.
Scholarships
· Guistwhite Scholar - Mateo Armas
· Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar - Shiwa Yangzom
Additional
REACH Chapter
Five Star Chapter
Founded in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa is the official honor society for two-year colleges that recognizes and awards high-achieving students at associate degree granting colleges. PTK’s mission is to recognize academic achievement of college students and to provide opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders. The society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
Photo Caption: PTK students at Bergen’s fall induction ceremony.