Experience Of a Lifetime
By Hassaan Chaudhary
As a Community College student, I feel
privileged and honored to attend 2013 PTK International Convention where I got
the opportunity to represent my college along with my other five members. The
event was held at San Jose, California from April 3-7, 2013. Phi Theta Kappa
organizes such beautiful occasions to honor students’ hard work and dedication
they have displayed throughout the year on their campuses. This particular
conference was on a large-scale as compared to the other two PTK events
(Leadership and Regional). Our odyssey to the convention was a hectic one as we
had to travel several miles from New York City to San Jose via plane. But the
journey went smoothly and serenely and we reached to our destination point
without any hassle.
On the very first day of the event, I
met with a lot of people and talked to them about PTK and other things. I also
attended numerous educational sessions where I got this golden and rare
opportunity to learn about different topics (starting from tolerance, civility
to team-building). I was quite ebullient when I heard about these sessions. I
always wanted to participate in such candid discussions and conversations. On
the other hand, I received a big surprise when I entered into the main hall to
attend our first General Session of the event. I was just flabbergasted to see
the size of the crowd and the magnitude of the event. That’s where I like PTK
the most. It provides you with those moments you have never experienced in your
whole life. It provides you with those networking and leadership opportunities
one can hardly get in a four-year institution. Anyway, without wasting any
time, I started to chat with different PTK members. I wanted to know about
their perspective on this event. Almost everyone was excited and elated. The
same cycle repeats for two days. In the morning, I used to attend the
educational forums while in the evening, we all (as a group) had to participate
in General Sessions. More than 1,300 Phi Theta Kappa Chapters and 4,000 members
have participated in the event.
The most satisfying moment was when our
fellow Laguardia members Svetlana and Moreen won the awards of ‘Most
Distinguished Member’ and ‘Most Distinguished Officer’ respectively. They
really deserved each accolade. Both these shining PTK members were nominated
for the awards and achieved them during the Hallmark Ceremony. Unlike in
Regional Conference, we did not receive more awards. However, it was expected
as the competition was tough. Towards the end, a dance party was organized for
all of the participants to enjoy the moment. Many students decided to take part
in it. I could hardly dance. So, I humbly declined the request (of my friends)
to dance with them. We were scheduled to leave from San Jose on April 7th. We
were exhausted and it was visible from our faces. However, it was an experience
I could never forget. The convention definitely outnumbered our expectations.
We thoroughly enjoyed it. I really would like to thank Phi Theta Kappa for
giving me this wonderful opportunity. I strongly urge all my PTK members to
actively participate in our meetings and get a unique chance to visit to the
PTK International Convention.
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