Alpha Theta Phi Chapter - Phi Theta Kappa - LaGuardia Community College

by Kai-Shanet Blackwood As an officer for the year 2016-2017, I have learned about myself and been able to hone useful skills. I had a rocky start, but I think I came a long way after being absent for about a month. I did not fully understand the magnitude of my position on the team and was frequently confused about what I had to do. I finally grasped that I had to keep track of what goes on within the team and aid in the preparation of events as my position described. I am naturally a person who doesn’t push people or force things to happen unless everyone is okay with it but I learned as time went by that I won’t get much done with that type of mentality. In particular, I didn’t solidify an agenda for the semester over the summer because I was waiting for the other officers to confirm whether or not they agreed. After a meeting I had with my advisor, she clarified certain things. She suggested I make a checklist for every event so that I am more organized, sh...

by Diana Gil Barona Being an officer has been a life changing experience. Even though it is not easy to manage time among school, work, PTK and family, I have learned through this experience that every effort put into those activities is worth it. In other words, managing my time is a big part of getting things done and on time within all the categories in which my life is divided right now. Also learning how to work in group is a great advantage when you have to divide your time among many obligations. Being an officer has also shown me that there is always something new to learn out of every experience. This means that planning is an important role; however, things do not always go as plan. Therefore, being able to improvise will play a bigger role, and for future reference, you would know how to plan accordingly. In addition, PTK has given me the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in class into a real  world experience. In other words, most of the concepts le...

by Tsewang Rinzin My experience as the coordinator for PTK Honors In Action research project was one of the best hands-on learning experiences that I received in my academic life. With my unique position, I got a chance to meet many incredible students and enhance my leadership skills with the help of our leadership expert, Professor Chris Singh. Also this year’s Honors In Action theme, How the world works: Global perspectives , has pushed me to think critically and see things from a different angle. I became more open-minded toward many issues. For instance, our chapter, Alpha Theta Phi, focused on the theme of Individualism and Collectivism. After conducting our research, I learned that both individualism and collectivism are like two sides of a coin. For example, we can’t judge one person’s lifestyle based on one perspective. We have to examine how collective society as a whole influences that individual’s life. Doing so is like using our "sociological imagination" and ...

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 PT...

by Dipa Rai Moving from Nepal to the United States was challenging and life changing experience for me. It had just been a year before I started my education at LaGuardia Community College as a freshman. Since I am living in a multicultural society I am getting an opportunity to meet new people almost everyday from all around the globe. This has been helping me to expand  my vision on various things such as their lifestyle, habits, origin, culture, traditions etc.  I am  participating in learning along with exploring  my career opportunities. When I got an invitation from PTK I was so much excited and proud of myself.  I have never imagined and thought of  running as an officer. But currently I am one of the officer for 2016-2017 academic year. I took a leadership position as a Media Officer. There was a moment when I thought I was not capable of taking the responsibility as a Media Officer for Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Theta Phi chapter. But I want to ...

by Anil Ghimire Getting chance to meet with fellow scholars is good, but beyond that meeting the scholars who have achieved something through the stages of life like yours is inspiring. When I get chance to meet someone who was like me and has achieved success, I feel motivated. As I am in the same type of community me get motivated towards the accomplishment of my dreams. Phi Theta Kappa is such an organization which provides platform to meet people like me who are serious, who have desire to achieve something new in his life. If I see the motivational environment then I will be motivated towards the same, like at induction. I get a chance to be a part of 3 million network of students of over 1285 campuses worldwide. Getting this chance, I can get chance to be familiar with the students who are not only in US but all over the world. Sharing ideas among my peers will make me wiser than I was just by reading an article. I can be proud of myself that I have a connection to the peop...

by Soleil Griffin My experience as an officer has enabled me to test my abilities as a leader. Before I officially joined Alpha Theta Phi’s officer team, I didn't know how or where I could put my skills to use. A couple of months prior to joining the officer team, I went through a Leadership for Success workshop training that was taught by one of the advisors, Chris Singh, of the chapter. At first I didn’t realize he was one of the advisors, until I went to the Induction Ceremony and saw him on the stage. However, because of this training, I knew that I had the capability to collaborate with a team and wanted to put the skills I learned use. When I got an email about the first Honors in Action meeting, I thought that it would be a great way to introduce myself to the officer team. Initially, I was really nervous. I kept debating with myself about whether or not I wanted to enter the room. It was not until someone noticed how crazy I looked walking back and forth counseling m...

By Erica Nieves When I received my membership invitation in the summer of 2015, I couldn’t have been more excited. It was my first time being included into anything that has the word “honor” in it. Plus, my mother, a LaGuardia graduate, is a Phi Theta Kappa member. With her encouragement, I paid my $70 fee. I became an active member, hoping to be apart of something bigger than me. Fast forward to now, I’m the College Project Coordinator of the chapter. As the College Project Coordinator, I keep in contact with members of the administration to discuss activities and plans within the Project. I also keep track of the volunteers, to ensure that their experiences are smooth and pleasant. The funny thing is, this isn’t my first time as College Project Coordinator. My first run with being the College Project Coordinator was last year, working on petitioning the DOT to redesign Thomson Avenue under the advisement of the Government Relations manager. When elections came, I stepped down ...

by Vanshika Sharma "And, when you want something, The entire Universe Conspires in Helping you to achieve it.” Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist) I wanted to start my blog with this wonderful quote of Mr. Coelho. This is not merely some ordinary phrase from the book “The Alchemist” but the truth of life. After finding an invitation from Phi Theta Kappa in my email, I felt the same that universe is conspiring in helping me to achieve my goal to be an attorney. From childhood, I was a dreamer, but was unaware of the process to transform my dreams into my reality. I even did not know about the fact that in between a dream and reality there is a one more step called Vision. As I grew older, my dreams were also growing along with me. I am a girl who belongs to Indian Ethnicity and I was educated in my home country. I came to LaGuardia one year back. I always wanted to be a Lawyer because Law keeps on pulling me towards its and I fell in love with my future profession. So, I started pur...