Dallas College Brookhaven Campus’ Alpha Delta Pi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society recently embarked on the annual PTK Catalyst convention. This year’s convention took place in Orlando, Florida, at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center on April 4-6.
Catalyst is a national event, the biggest one for the society’s members, in which the organization comes together to celebrate the year’s accomplishments, elect new international officers, familiarize students with universities and learn from the workshops and sessions offered.
This year the convention focused on messages regarding second chances, telling your story and the stride toward success. Clety Gonzalez, Brookhaven’s current PTK chapter president, said they have a project called Honors in Action that follows a theme for the year. This year’s theme was The Power of Stories. “They brought inspirational keynote speakers who told us their stories and some of them I felt I was meant to hear,” Gonzalez said.
Maria Wagner, Alpha Delta Pi’s current vice president of scholarship, said, “PTK has given me so many things: friends, connections, networking opportunities, research experience, leadership experience and advisers that I know I can rely on.”
Alpha Delta Pi’s participation at the convention also allowed for meaningful connections with fellow scholars and leaders across different chapters. Gonzalez said: “I met awesome people that together, we made an incredible team. We love to play Uno, so that is something the other chapters can say about their time with us.”
The fun social and networking events provided everyone who attended the chance to forge new alliances, camaraderie and familiarity within the PTK community. Techchheng Tray, Alpha Delta Pi, vice president elect of scholarship, said besides the workshops, there were various activities and events focused on socializing with peers. There was a pool party for relaxation and a scholar tournament where teams from different divisions nerded off.
Despite not securing awards at Catalyst, the Alpha Delta Pi chapter reined in success at the Texas Region Conference, securing accolades including the Honors in Action Award of Merit, College Project Award of Merit, and Distinguished Officer Team 2024. Gonzalez emphasized that while awards are nice, any true success lies in captivating team spirit and sharing achievements with fellow members.
Throughout the entire trip, Alpha Delta Pi members gained valuable insights and honed their critical thinking and leadership skills while still being able to let loose a little and celebrate all they have done this academic year. The chapter members spent their first day at Universal Studios exploring all the different worlds and activities the park has to offer. David Hunt, Alpha Delta Pi’s current vice president of service, said, “The chapter’s experience of going to Universal Studios was fun, we all went on lots of fast roller coasters, and as far as all the conferences goes, it was nice being in a place where a bunch of people can come together and just share their perspectives.”
Their experience among others, enriched by moments of laughter, learning and fellowship, reflects the core values of PTK society and the community spirit that defines their chapter. Alpha Delta Pi members brought home new valuable experiences, lasting memories and a renewed ambition to make a positive impact on their campus and beyond.
