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Motlow State PTK Earn Multiple International Awards

April 28, 2022

Bryan Kirk, Gregg Garrison, and Jose RodriguezThe Motlow State Community College Alpha Xi Pi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society received multiple international awards at the 2022 Catalyst Convention April 7-9.

Alpha Xi Pi is Motlow’s PTK Chapter and it consists of students from Motlow's various campuses. Each campus group supports its local community through service and leadership. All campuses work together as one Chapter to contribute to institutional, state, and international initiatives.

PTK is the world's largest and most prestigious international honor society for two-year college students. The organization’s mission is to recognize academic achievement of college students and provide opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders. They earn their membership in educational and workforce programs by demonstrating excellence in their field of study.

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Motlow student Shayna-Raye Funderburk was awarded Distinguished Chapter Officer and Distinguished Regional Officer for the Tennessee Region
  • Motlow student Jose Rodriguez was awarded the Alumni Hall of Honor recipient for Tennessee Region
  • Associate Professor of Biology Misty Griffith was awarded the Regional 1st Place Continued Excellence Advisor Award

TENNESSEE MOSAIC AWARDS

Shayna Funderburk Shayna-Raye Funderburk received two awards from Tennessee Mosaic, the annual literary magazine for the Tennessee Region PTK this year. She won three last year.

Each year, members submit original works in a variety of categories for publication.

Funderburk's awards include:

  • 1st Place Short Fiction
  • 2nd Place Poetry

“I have always enjoyed writing. Being able to enter and place in this competition multiple years in a row has been very meaningful to me. You never know what you are capable of until you give yourself the chance to prove it,” Funderburk said.

CHAPTER HONORS

  • Misty Griffith, Gregg Garrison, and Dayron Deaton-OwensDistinguished Chapter Officer Team – Shayna-Raye Funderburk, Adaeze Ikejiani, Makayla Shea Funk, Darien A Stewart, Olga Andrea Vazquez Nunez, and Gregory Arvin Blake
  • Distinguished Chapter Advisor Team and International Distinguished Advisor Team – Laura Brown, Dawn Copeland, Dayron Deaton-Owens, Gregg Garrison, Misty Griffith, Rob Keel
  • Top 100 Chapters
  • Distinguished College Project Award – Increasing Mental Health Awareness
  • first place in theme for Honors in Action theme
  • Five Star Level Chapter
  • Regional Award for Excellence in Fellowship – Regional Coordinator Gregg Garrison; officers: Channa Cole, Shayna-Raye Funderburk, Bryan Kirk and Campbell Lahman
  • Reach Award for recruitment that meets or surpasses membership acceptance rates

“I am very proud of the Alpha Xi Pi Chapter for winning the Regional Award for Excellence in the Fellowship category for a second year in a row,” said Garrison.

NEW ALPHA XI PI CHAPTER INDUCTEES

  • Laura Levine
  • Raymond Morton
  • Brence Moore
  • Josh Farless
  • Connor Hubble
  • Norhan Lowiz
  • Lydia Houck
  • Marco Osorio
  • Esperanza Juarez
  • Karla Garcia
  • Htwa Meh
  • Glenice Edwards
  • Olivia Seiffert
  • Gloria Jacobs

To learn more about Motlow’s Alpha Xi Pi Chapter of PTK, visit motlow.edu/PTK.

Tennessee’s Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient, and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. The system offers associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs, and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tbr.edu or visit Motlow at motlow.edu.

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