Horry Georgetown Technical College: HGTC Phi Theta Kappa Chapter Wins International Awards

Press release from Horry Georgetown Technical College:

06/01/2021

Photo (from left to right): Leila Rogers, HGTC Distinguished Chapter Advisor Team Member, HGTC Sociology Professor;
Matthew Defreitas, HGTC Distinguished Chapter Student Team Member; Sherna-lee McFarlane, HGTC Distinguished Chapter Student Team Member; Dr. Marilyn Murphy Fore, HGTC President; Jason Hanson, HGTC Distinguished Chapter Student Team Member; Ola Watson, HGTC Distinguished Chapter Student Team Member; Beth Carraway, Carolinas Regional Coordinator for PTK, HGTC Distinguished Chapter
Advisor Team Leader, HGTC Accounting Professor; Dr. Amy LeFevre, HGTC Distinguished Chapter Advisor Team Member, HGTC Psychology Professor.

Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) is proud to announce that the Phi Theta
Kappa (PTK) Chapter received international recognition at the PTK Hallmark Awards.

HGTC received the Distinguished College Project Award for the HGTC Food Pantry campus project. The purpose of the College Project is to establish a supportive relationship
between the chapter and the college administration. The chapter should meet with the
college president (or other appropriate administrator) to determine the College Project,
which can be anything that supports the college’s mission. HGTC was 1 of 51 Chapters
to receive this award. 

HGTC received the Distinguished Honors in Action Award for the Mental Health Awareness
project. Honors in Action Projects incorporate academic research and analysis, action
(service or advocacy), collaboration, and impact. Each project is based on a theme
from the 2020-2021 Honors Study Topic, To the Seventh Generation: Inheritance and Legacy. HGTC was 1 of 52 Chapters to receive this award. 

This award is named for the Beta Alpha Chapter at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas.
If a chapter is named a Distinguished Chapter for three years consecutively, the chapter
will be presented the Beta Alpha Continued Excellence Award. HGTC was 1 of 13 Chapters
to receive this award. 

HGTC scored third highest overall in combined Honors in Action Project and College
Project Award rankings. Most Distinguished Chapter Finalists are runners-up to Most
Distinguished Chapter, ranked in order from Ninth Finalist to First Finalist. HGTC
was 1 of 10 finalist to receive this award.

“We cannot begin to express how proud we are of our students who exceeded all expectations
during a pandemic. Their teamwork, dedication, and perseverance amazed us and ultimately
provided a better college experience at HGTC for their fellow students,” said Beth
Carraway, HGTC Accounting Professor and Phi Theta Kappa Advisor. 

The Hallmark Awards Program recognizes superior achievement in PTK’s programs while
encouraging excellence, reflecting fairness, recognizing quality, and enhancing individual
and chapter development. PTK is guided by four hallmarks including Scholarship, Leadership,
Service, and Fellowship. Thousands of entries are received annually, and only the
“best of the best” are recognized as Hallmark Award recipients. 

“I want to personally congratulate the PTK Chapter at Horry-Georgetown Technical College
as a top-ten finalist for Most Distinguished Chapter in the Hallmark Awards program.
This award recognizes the very best of more than 1,285 chapters throughout the nation
and internationally. In an extremely challenging year, your chapter adapted to this
new environment and thrived – this speaks volumes about the leadership of your members
and advisors. Congratulations on a job well done,” said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President
and CEO for Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. 

The HGTC Distinguished Chapter Student Team Members are Ola Watson, Matthew Defreitas,
Jason Hanson, Jessica Wardlaw, Kat McCarthy, Sherna-lee McFarlane, and Jacob Williamson. 

The HGTC Distinguished Chapter Advisor Team Members are Beth Carraway, Heather Jones,
Leila Rogers, and John Sharpe.

To view the list of all 2021 Hallmark Award winners, please visit https://hallmarkawards.ptk.org/.

https://hallmarkawards.ptk.org/

This press release was produced by Horry Georgetown Technical College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.