Teamwork through HIA

by Nikolaos Panaousis

The Alpha Theta Phi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has been an exceptional chapter in terms of campus engagement, relationship building, conference participation, and consistent attendance in regional and international events. As the Co-President of the chapter for the academic year 2017 – 2018, I am delighted to have the opportunity to work alongside a very motivated group of people who struggle to achieve more through their persistence efforts. Thus far, our chapter has been involved in several activities; however, in my view, the most stressful one is the Honors in Action (HIA) project.

The Honors in Action (HIA) project is designed to engage members in an informed, action-oriented research process, with its goal being the fulfillment of PTK’s mission. By participating in the HIA project, our chapter is being given the chance to conduct meaningful research, practice problem-solving skills, and gain a deeper understanding of how the world works through the eyes of our chosen topic – Peace & War.

As a team, we have done much to ensure that the project’s direction is a positive one, but there is one aspect that I believe is the most interesting, for me, and will be of tremendous help to me in the future. It is the aspect of teamwork. Even though teamwork sounds like a something that all team projects consist of, ensuring that everyone is actually doing their part is the real challenge.

Teamwork is a very popular concept, yet few can work effectively in teams. In our case, communication and willingness to contribute towards the successful completion of the project enabled our teamwork spirit. From experience, if we want to achieve something – in this case the completion of HIA – it needs to be done through teamwork. Its importance and the future implications of it are unrestricted – mastering teamwork can help me in my academic career, professional life, and even in day-to-day occasional interactions with people.

Working towards the HIA project has its up and downs, its easy times and difficult times; however, as a team, we are always able to overcome our problems and collectively work to achieve our objectives. Teamwork is the key to success and that’s why I consider it one of the most crucial aspects of the project.