Education 11 December 2025

Southern State students inducted into PTK Honor Society

The Highland County Press - Staff Photo - Create Article
Pictured in the front row, from left to right: Emmalee Brammer, Logan Savage, Zaylee Arrington, Maddison Hurles, Vanesa Melendez and Sophia Michael; back row, left to right: PTK Adviser Samuel Ginn, Kaleb Eden, Zayden Eichhorn, Madee Koenig, Caleb Wagner, and Wyatt Osborn. 

By Elizabeth Burkard
Director of Marketing
Southern State Community College

The membership of one of higher education’s most recognized honor societies, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), was enhanced by the induction of several new members at a December 10 ceremony held on Southern State Community College’s Central Campus.
 
Founded in 1918, PTK honors academic achievement in two-year colleges. To be considered for membership, a student must maintain a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average and complete at least 12 semester credit hours of coursework that may be applied to an associate degree.
 
The local chapter, Alpha Omicron Eta, is one of nearly 1,000 chapters in two-year colleges around the world. Membership in PTK—like its parallel for four-year colleges, Phi Beta Kappa— increases scholarship and job opportunities and provides a host of other benefits.
 
New inductees, from Southern State, include:

• From Adams County: Pheonix Elliott and Madee Koenig;

• From Brown County: Caleb Wagner;

• From Fayette County: Tabitha Anderson and Maddison Hurles;

• From Highland County: Cameron Burkard, Zayden Eichhorn, Vanesa Melendez, Sophia Michael, Wyatt Osborn, and Logan Savage.
 
Southern State’s Assistant Professor of Psychology, Thomas Payton, provided the keynote address.
 
A reception followed the formal program for new members and their guests.
 
“This is a great opportunity to celebrate our students who have earned this recognition in honor of their hard work,” says Samuel Ginn, PTK Student Advisor/Faculty Member. “Congratulations to our newly inducted members.”
 
PTK officers for 2025-26 are President Vanesa Melendez, Vice President of Leadership Zaylee Arrington, Vice President of Communications Emmalee Brammer, Vice President of Service Logan Savage, and Vice President of Scholarship Kaleb Eden.
 
To learn more about PTK at Southern State, please visit www.sscc.edu/students/ptk.shtml.

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