Largest Number in Recent History Named to Honor Society at VGCC
Vance-Granville Community College has selected 77 of its students for membership in Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges that offer associate degrees.
The students were inducted into VGCC’s Alpha Sigma Chi Chapter of PTK in ceremonies at the school April 22. To qualify for Phi Theta Kappa, full-time students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 3.5, have completed 12 credit hours in associate degree curriculum programs and meet other criteria. Part-time students must have a 3.75 GPA and also have completed 12 hours.
In his introductory remarks, President Robert A. Miller said: “When you realize there are thousands of students studying at Vance-Granville Community College, you can see that the 77 we honor this afternoon truly represent the best students we have. And 77 is also the highest number of students to be inducted into the honor society in many years. This tells me that more students are taking their studies more seriously and are taking the steps necessary to excel.”
Daniel Alvarado, a counselor for special programs at Vance-Granville, was the main speaker. He called the PTK selectees “the crème de la crème” of the VGCC student population.
In explaining why learning is so important, Alvarado told the students: “Learning has the power to transform us. It enables us to solve problems and change our attitudes; it makes us more interesting to be with … Our survival today as individuals, as a nation, will depend on our capacity to learn.”
Alvarado urged the students to continue their educations and to continue to learn. “You see,” he said, “learning is the fuel of the soul, and without it we cannot grow, and without growth we wither.”
Phillip Mondou, a biology instructor, and Evelyn Hall, who instructs Office Systems Technology, are the faculty advisors for Phi Theta Kappa. Mondou told the gathering that PTK began in 1918 in Missouri with chapters at eight women’s junior colleges. Scholarship is the first aim of PTK, but it also encourages leadership. VGCC’s Alpha Sigma Chi chapter was recognized by PTK in 2002 with the Pinnacle Scholarship Award.
This year’s inductees into VGCC’s Alpha Sigma Chi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa are:
Vance County: Marinda Davis Daye, Teresa Rae Dover, Randy Javar Downey, Steven Ray Ellington Jr., Alex Bruce Hatcher, Gregory Page Hughes, Derrick L. Johnson, Tanya Lee Jones, Nancy Hutchins Paynter, Karen Inscoe Ramsey, Arletta Renee Scott, Nancy Kee Thompson and Donald W. Weaver.
Granville County: Fuguang Chen Aitken of Bullock; Pamela Cozart LeGrande of Butner; Michael Abramowitz, Brian Armstrong, Betty Adcock Barker, Matthew D. Black, Eric D. Dalman, Melissa Ann Ferrell, Leslie Grant Hurt, Carolyn Elizabeth Lincoln and Michele Marie Rousse, all of Creedmoor; Flora W. Cates, Leslie Louise Coburn, Ronnie Lee Compton, Gabriela Ines Garcia, Rina Lynn Hurley, Jennifer Sunshine Kelley, LaToya Mechell Krider, Jonelle Crystal Marable, Corene H. Norman, Tracy Christine Rivers, Maxine Thomas Sheftal, Ann DeRita Taylor, Lynette Donielle Thompson and Sarah Lee Williams, all of Oxford; Robin Elizabeth Lopez, Christina Starr Lunsford and Heather Renae Richard of Franklinton.
Franklin County: Hugh Brian Ray Jr. and Deborah Lynn Sanders of Bunn; William A. Bibbey III, Judy R. Blackley, Jennifer Leigh Bragg, Terri Lynn Cargill, Robert C. Ernst, Robert G. Gagnon, April Lea Mauldin, Garland R. Ragland Jr., and Karen P. Rollins of Franklinton; Clara Hawkins Alston, Evangeline D. Spruill and Christy Cottrell Zimmerle of Louisburg; Evelyn Smith of Rolesville; and Donald A. Colbert, Heather Aileen Kilby, Larry E. Lee and Emily Carol Smathers of Youngsville.
Warren County: Jamie Lynn Ross of Macon; Gracie Arlene Crews, Mary Lee Reynolds and Glynnis Ruschelle Wilson of Norlina; Jackie DeZae Anderson and Sheilia Sharlene Cheek of Warrenton.
Others: Kelly Ann Ellis, Betty J. Jenkins, Kathleen Ann Monahan and William Davis Reynolds of Wake Forest; Melinda Richardson Davis, Elizabeth Diane Long and Gregory H. Old of Durham; Jacqueline Sills-Sharps of Zebulon and Brenda P. Driver of Spring Hope.
VANCE COUNTY SCHOLARS – Phi Theta Kappa honor society 2003 inductees at Vance-Granville Community College from Vance County include, front, from left: Nancy H. Paynter, Steven R. Ellington Jr., Randy J. Downey, Tanya Lee Jones and Marinda Davis Daye; and back, from left: Alex Hatcher, Donald W. Weaver, Nancy Kee Thompson and Karen Inscoe Ramsey.
WARREN COUNTY SCHOLARS – Phi Theta Kappa honor society 2003 inductees at Vance-Granville Community College from Warren County include, from left: Gracie E. Crews of Norlina, Sheilia S. Cheek of Warrenton, Jamie Lynn Ross of Macon and Mary Lee Reynolds of Norlina.
GRANVILLE COUNTY SCHOLARS – Phi Theta Kappa honor society 2003 inductees at Vance-Granville Community College from Vance County include, front, from left: Ann D. Taylor, Corene H. Norman, Sarah Lee Williams, Tracie C. Rivers, Flora W. Cates, all of Oxford, and Melissa Ann Ferrell of Creedmoor; second row, from left: Michelle M. Rousse of Creedmoor, Pamela C. LeGrand of Butner, Ronnie Lee Compton, LaToya S. Taylor, Gabriela I. Garcia, LaToya M. Krider, all of Oxford, and Carolyn E. Lincoln of Creedmoor; third row, from left: Brian Armstrong of Creedmoor, Rina L. Hurley of Oxford, Robin E. Lopez of Franklinton, and Leslie L. Coburn of Oxford; back row, from left: Michael Abramowitz and Matthew W. Black of Creedmoor, Christina S. Lunsford of Franklinton and Heather R. Richard of Granville County.
FRANKLIN COUNTY SCHOLARS – Phi Theta Kappa honor society 2003 inductees at Vance-Granville Community College from Franklin County include, front, from left: Terry Lynn Cargill of Franklinton, Clara H. Alston of Louisburg, Kelly Ann Ellis and Jennifer L. Bragg of Franklinton; second row, from left: Christy C. Zimmerle of Louisburg and Karen P. Rollins of Franklinton; back, from left: Donald Alvin Colbert of Youngsville, Hugh B. Ray Jr. and Deborah Lynn Sanders of Bunn, and William A. Bibbey III and Robert G. Gagnon of Franklinton.
