Davidson County Community College

THOMASVILLE — The Tau Beta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society has been on the campus of Davidson County Community College since 1969. In the past four years, the chapter has grown to be recognized on the regional and national levels for scholarship and service to Davidson and Davie counties.

During the national Phi Theta Kappa Catalyst conference in April, members of Tau Beta chapter won the “Top 100 Chapters” Award with more than 1,300 chapter candidates. Tau Beta was also recognized as a Five Star Chapter, the highest designation awarded.

“The ceremony kind of feels like you’re at the Academy Awards,” said Tau Beta chapter adviser and DCCC faculty member Sharon Carter. “It was a huge honor to be recognized and go up on stage in front of a room of thousands of students from across the country.”

Candidates for the award must meet guidelines to be considered. Chapters had to complete three projects: an honors in action project, a college project and an outside service project. Chapter members were able to choose the focus of each project.

For their honors in action project, members chose to plan natural learning environments for childhood development centers. Student pitched their ideas to 11 centers — and some are now working to implement these plans at their locations.

Members also worked with a team of DCCC administration leaders to discover what global skills are needed for incoming job candidates and employees. To complete this college project, members reached out to local business leaders and human resources representatives.

The outside service project featured numerous activities, such as helping the DCCC Advising Center with its Call-a-Thon and Adopt a Highway for Old Greensboro Road.

The Tau Beta Chapter also received the Paragon Award for New Advisors given to Tau Beta adviser Kendra Guffey and the Distinguished Chapter Adviser Team Awards for both Carter and Guffey.

Phi Theta Kappa is an international scholastic society that recognizes academic achievement of two-year college students. To be eligible for membership, a student must be enrolled in an associate degree program, have successfully completed at least 12 semester hours by the end of the fall semester, have attained a cumulative grade-point average of 3.6 or higher, and demonstrate outstanding traits of character and citizenship.

This year’s Phi Theta Kappa members have already begun planning projects for the upcoming year.

“At the end of the year, students usually say, ‘I never knew I could do these things,’” Carter said. “It’s amazing to see these students accomplish things they never thought possible.”