PTK Chapter in my LaGuardia story

by Christian Esquivel

My first year at LaGuardia Community College, I adapted to becoming a student again after a five year break. Outside of my classes, I attended two 8-week sessions of Leadership Workshops led by the Leadership Specialist on campus, Professor Chris Singh, which taught me the difference between a struggling student and successful student mindset. We also focused on developing leadership styles and our influence on others. After a life-changing freshman year, I was ready to take on an active leadership role. I considered starting my own club or becoming an officer for Student Government. In the midst of my decision, I received an email from PTK to attend the officer team panel. They officers at the time presented on what it meant to be an officer, how they had made an impact, and the benefits they had gained from the experience. This inspired to run for the position, and I was elected as the VP of Membership Recruitment and Retention. My role is to promote the PTK organization, articulate the benefits to potential members and to take part in the activities aimed to engage our current members. On top of that I organize volunteers and do my best to make this a mutually beneficial experience, both for the member and the organization. Ultimately, my goal is to maintain active participation among members.

I have never felt more at home at LaGuardia Community College than during my time as a member of the Alpha Theta Phi officer team. It has give me a real sense of community. It is a position that has challenged my organization skills, provided fellowship and created access to more opportunities. I’ve had to learn how to manage classes, while participating in event planning and other officer duties, while also focusing on my transfer process to a four-year institution. Once I dove into everything PTK had to offer, I was able to create a support system among the other officers. Perhaps the biggest struggle I had was to adapt and work with different leadership and communication styles. However, it has been an experience that has made me grow as an individual and taught me skills that I can carry into future endeavors.

This one of the largest officer teams ATP has had in the past years, and I think it's because have formed a family. We look out for each other with tasks that transcend our officer duties and have become involved in each others personal lives. Some of our accomplishments as a team are to have successfully promoted and put on events and our first induction ceremony, even though for many of us it is our first official leadership position. It has definitely been a learn-as-you-go process, but the best way to get good at something is to have the experience. We have also created a welcoming environment with extended office hours and constant communication with our members and as result, we have more active members than ever before. We have had to deal with "good" problems, such as too many volunteers. I look forward to the rest of the year and to continue to learn from each other.