We are delighted to share an update on the Beta Theta Omicron chapter’s fall events as the semester comes to a conclusion.
We’ve been presenting several workshops to help students succeed over the last few months. We presented a Navigating College session in partnership with the STEM Center, a special thank you to Luis Prado, retention specialist, for supporting the event as a guest speaker. We hosted two workshops to help students prepare for their applications for PTK-specific scholarships and the PTK Transfer Scholarship, which were generously supported by Joyce Lee and the Beta Theta Lambda Chapter advisor Barara Dimopoulos at Merritt College, respectively. In partnership with the Peer Mentoring Program, the chapter also conducted a “Work Smarter, Not Harder” program to share college success advice.
Members of the chapter have displayed a strong dedication to service by assisting communities during the fall semester. We co-hosted two workshops on campus with the Rape Trauma Services, focused on how to support trauma survivors and build strong, healthy relationships. Members continued volunteering at the South San Francisco Senior Center, teaching seniors how to use technology. They also participated in two beach clean-ups, one at Mussel Rock and one at Coyote Point. In partnership with the Samaritan House in San Mateo, the chapter collects new toys and books for needy children through November.
The officer team’s new research topic was also at the core of the fall semester, and they collaborated with Active Minds and Psi Beta on the formulation of their survey questions and three social events to investigate how play affects students’ belonging. Students gathered for the inaugural International Game Day to exchange and play childhood games. Students competed in group games in the track and field on the second game day. Officers staged a scavenger hunt across campus on Thursday, 11/16, with teams solving riddles and puzzles to find clues to their next destination. A special thank you goes to Pia Walawalkar for your help with the design of the library station.
The team planned a Research Speech Contest on November 9th to show and spread their love for research, which is one of the chapter’s mainstays. About 10 students rose to the challenge and presented their studies in 5-minute speeches. Thank you to the event’s judges, Jessica Hurles, Emilie Hein, Rick Hough, Rob Williams, and Janice Sapigao. Also, congrats to Erin Denny, Matthew Dacanay, Chenran Kang, Leonardo Calle, and Madeline Steiner, the contest winners.
The chapter was also active on the regional level of Phi Theta Kappa. This fall, the Nevada/California PTK regional conference in Burlingame was a key event on the chapter’s calendar. The chapter co-hosted the conference, ran the registration booth, and identified keynote speakers, among other things. Luciana Castro, David Hasson, and Jennifer Merrill of Skyline provided audiences with impassioned, intelligent, and participatory keynotes. A big thank you to Luciana, David and Jennifer for your continued support! A “Thank you” goes as well to Cherie Colin for assisting us with the Skyline bags and lanyards for the conference! Thank you to Marco Wehrfritz and Leonardo Calle for their assistance in developing and fabricating the conference Chess boards, which fostered interactions and networking among conference attendees.
The chapter gathered with their sister chapters from CSM and Canada on November 17th to commemorate the yearly induction ceremony and welcomed the almost 190 new members who joined Beta Theta Omicron this year.
As a last event on campus this fall, on December 6th, the chapter will conduct a poetry event with the support of Professor Janice Sapigao. Everyone is welcome to write and share poetry during this one-and-a-half-hour workshop.
At the closing of this packed semester, the officer team will reflect on and write about their actions, accomplishments, and learning experiences as officers this semester. Their written statements and awards entries will be submitted by the January 11th due date to the Phi Theta Kappa headquarters.
This would not have been possible without the incredible assistance of many hands behind the scenes. Please accept our heartfelt gratitude!
The PTK officer team of Me Me Hlaing Oo, Chel Myint, May Han Hnin, Thet Mon Kyaw, John Michael Rada, Laryetha Husni, Princess Johanna Eusantos, Abigail Jean Alfonso, Codie Lai, Megan White, Mowen Tan, and advisors Thanh Nguyen and Susanne Schubert wish everyone a happy holiday season.
