Honor society inducts 58 new members

MIDDLETOWN — The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter at Middlesex Community College inducted 58 new members April 24, during an online ceremony. Two additional virtual announcements acknowledged student members with awards.

Phi Theta Kappa is the world’s largest honor society for two-year colleges. The organization rewards outstanding academic excellence while promoting leadership, fellowship and service, according to a press release.

At the induction ceremony, college CEO Steven Minkler announced a first for the college. An MxCC student who participates in the Center for Prison Education program with Wesleyan and wishes to remain anonymous earned the PTK Golden Opportunity Scholar national award, which waives the PTK membership fee.

On April 17, PTK members Joshua Budney of Meriden, John Guillamon of Deep River and Abigail Ingalls of Ledyard were recognized by the governor’s office as part of the Phi Theta Kappa All-Connecticut Academic Team, which acknowledges scholarly achievements and leadership accomplishments of students enrolled in the state’s community colleges, the release said.

Ingalls was also named a New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar. Sponsored by PTK and the Coca-Cola Foundation, this scholarship of $1,250 is a national award for students who directly enter the workforce after earning their degree. More than 2,000 students were nominated nationwide, but only one student is selected from each state.

In a virtual ceremony conducted March 13, Laura Schneider of Middletown earned first place for the Most Distinguished Chapter Member award on the regional level (New England) and again on the national level. A member since fall 2017, Schneider embodies the hallmarks of PTK: service, fellowship, leadership and scholarship, according to the college.

The MxCC chapter, also known as Beta Gamma Xi, received the second place award in the Honors in Action Theme, World of Work,” for the New England region. To earn this award, PTK students cohosted a “Courageous Conversation” called “Reframing Stress in the World of Work and School” last fall. Members York Clement, Chris Currie, Alexander Foster, Pink He, Guillamon, Gary Lambert, Jack Howell and Schneider helped plan the project, the release added.

“Our goal was to change the way we look at stress in order to gain control of overwhelming experiences,” Guillamon, the Beta Gamma Xi chapter president, said in a prepared statement. “This project turned myself and my fellow officers into leaders on our campus. These experiences have prepared us for everything going forward in our educational and professional careers.”

Guillamon also received the Coca Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar award.

Beta Gamma Xi was again recognized as a Five Star Level chapter for its participation in different levels of engagement culminating in College and Honors in Action projects.

By maintaining a 3.65 grade-point average with a minimum of 12 credits, the following students were inducted at the April 24 ceremony:

Luka Augeri, Middletown; Eva-Larue Barber, Branford; Bianca Bates, Wethersfield; Louis Beauchamp, Cromwell; Yacine Beldjoudi, Middletown; Felicia Benson, Hamden; Nicole Bernard, East Hampton; Erin Berry, Westbrook; Paula Bousquet, Durham; Akum Bowman, Berlin; Ashley Brooke, Clinton; Joshua Budney, Meriden; Rachel Bulgini, Clinton; Gregory Corvo, Cromwell; Demarie Del Vecchio, Durham; Taylor Demarco, Wethersfield; Sarah Demasi, Cromwell; Mary Grace Denvir, Killingworth; Julia Dietz, Plantsville; Boris Dizik, Middletown; Jussonjah Duby, Meriden; Nhan Duong, Meriden; Edward Evans, Meriden; Stephanie Finaldi, Durham; Abigail Gagliardi, Meriden; Emily Gagliardi, Meriden; Skye Gilbert, Wallingford; Adam Gomez, Killingworth; Omar Gonzalez-Solano, Meriden; Jennifer Haddad, Willimantic; Samantha Halpin, Meriden

Also, John Howell, Durham; Kimberly Howley, East Haddam; Abigail Ingalls, Ledyard; Peter Kuzmich, Wallingford; Gary Lambert, Meriden; Thomas Laskowski, Wallingford; Cory Livernoche, Westbrook; Graziella Longo, Meriden; Jamie McEnerney, Meriden; Ryan McKeon, Clinton; Elizabeth McLean, Middletown; Jesse McQuillan, Middletown; Abigail Mele, Cobalt; Katherine Orsini, Wallingford; Rohini Patil, Middletown; Shayla Patterson, Middletown; Brianna Poissant, Middletown; Georgine-Reign Revilloza, Middletown; Amber Robinson, Old Saybrook; Samantha Russo, Granby; Skyler Sentino, Cromwell; Olivia Smith, Deep River; Gregory Sulla, Rocky Hill; Kamie Thornton, Southington; Robert Walling, Durham; Barakah White, Higganum

For information, visit mxcc.edu/PTK.