Phi Theta Kappa Rho Xi chapter inducts 54 students into Class of 2022

INA, Ill. (April 29, 2022) – Fifty-four Rend Lake College students were inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor (PTK) Society Rho Xi chapter last Friday in the RLC Theater. In addition to the inductees, one RLC faculty member – Theatre Professor Tracey Webb – was named the 2022 PTK Teacher of the Year.

The 2022 inductees, by hometown, are:
Ashley — Race Rynski
Belle Rive — Cathy Pilson
Benton — Kendra Fox, Mitchell Giacone, Audrey Gulley, Jillian Korff
Bluford — Adelina Caronongan
Buckner — Caleb Helfrich
Carbondale — Octavia Marshall
Centralia — Joshua Bryant
Christopher — Faith Sanders, Katrina Smith
Dongola — Steven Urban
Ewing — Megan Hallemann, Gracie Walker
Gillespie — Frank Barrett
Greeley, Colo. — Dylann Torres
Ina — Shealyn Conway
Marion — Libby Mayers, Cooper Smith
McLeansboro — William Bowers, Emily Cox, Leslie Davis, Jesse Hernandez, Owen Shelton
Mount Vernon — Alexis Cox, Billie Hodges, Kylee Keele, Lauren Little, Hayden Locke, Samantha Rhoades, Mikayla Robbers
Mulkeytown — Ronda Sussen
Murphysboro — Ashley Jarrett
Salem — Logan Jornd
Scheller — Carter Barczewski, Madeline Johnson, Anna Kistner
Sesser — Haden Harmon
Tamaroa — Lindsay Alvis, Olivia Asbury, Madelyn Bearden, Megan Restoff
Thompsonville — Alyssa Goldsberry
Venedy — Jordan Green
Vienna — Emma Rush
Waltonville — Jaice Mccowen, Nathan Ragland
Wayne City — Chelsea Nguyen, Kelcee Seymour
Whittington — Robert Mcclintock, Samantha Vanhorn
Woodlawn — Sarah Carr, Arika Wheeler

PTK Rho Xi Inductees - FROM LEFT; Leslie Davis (McLeansboro), Emma Rush (Vienna), Octavia Marshall (Carbondale), Ashley Jarrett (Murphysboro), and Joshua Bryant (Centralia). Click on the image for a larger version.

Jena Jensik, Rho Xi Chapter Advisor, welcomed the inductees and audience to the ceremony with a few brief words. Lori Ragland, Vice President of Instruction and Student Affairs, also provided a welcome and an opening address that focused on the pillars of PTK — scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship.

PTK Rho Xi Inductees - FROM LEFT; Audrey Gulley (Benton), Faith Sanders (Christopher), Caleb Helfrich (Buckner), Alyssa Goldsberry (Thompsonville), Gracie Walker (Ewing), and Katrina Smith (Christopher). Click on the image for a larger version.

The 2022 Teacher of the Year, Webb, was chosen by PTK students for being a role model they consider influential and motivating. In her acceptance speech, Webb told the inductees, “You’re our future. … You need to be smart and ready for the world because the world is a dangerous and challenging place. I’m not going to lie to you. There’s going be a lot of downs as well as a lot of ups. You’ve got to try to find that balance in the middle and keep going. Don’t give up. Keep striving. Go on to the next level.”

PTK Rho Xi Inductees - FROM LEFT; Mikayla Robbers (Mount Vernon), Alexis Cox (Mount Vernon), Cathy Pilson (Belle Rive), Nathan Ragland (Waltonville), and Carter Barczewski (Scheller). Click on the image for a larger version.

PTK has inducted over 3 million members worldwide since 1918. According to the honor society’s website, there is a variety of scholarship opportunities for members — career tech, nursing and veterans are just a few. The Phi Theta Kappa Foundation awards $1.5 million in scholarships to members each year, and four-year college partners now offer $250 million in transfer scholarships exclusively for Phi Theta Kappa members, according to the site. For more information about PTK, visit www.ptk.org.

To learn more about the Rho Xi chapter at RLC, contact Jensik at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1293 or jensikj@rlc.edu.

PTK Rho Xi Inductees - FROM LEFT; Olivia Asbury (Tamaroa), Megan Restoff (Tamaroa), Libby Mayers (Marion), Logan Jornd (Salem), Cooper Smith (Marion), and Dylan Torres (Greeley, Colo.). Click on the image for a larger version.