Attendees of the Michigan Region Mini Honors Conference put their commitment to complete in writing.

I had the privilege of attending the Michigan Region Mini Honors Conference this fall.  Part of the conference program was a Commit to Completion event where attendees were encouraged to sign a banner committing to complete their associate degree or credential.  The banner which read “Michigan Region of Phi Theta Kappa Commits to Complete” was displayed in the atrium area of the College Center at St. Clair County Community College, the host college for the conference, for the duration of the conference.

To kick off the event St. Clair Professor Emeritus and Lambda Mu Chapter Advisor Tom Obee, former Coordinator for the region, shared his personal story of growing up on a peppermint farm in rural Michigan and his family’s commitment to ensure he had a quality education, starting at Port Huron Community College, now St. Clair County Community College. He challenged attendees to commit to complete; take advantage of resources available for completion, particularly those offered by Phi Theta Kappa; and become productive members of Society.

Regional Officer Hope Buell shared statistics related to college completion spoke about barriers that must be addressed to ensure students complete.  Over 100 members and advisors signed the banner, publicly committing to complete and support others in their quest to complete.  The region also raised funds to support scholarships for college completion.

Congratulations Michigan Region!  I was excited and honored to be a part of your event.

As we begin the fall semester, let’s not forget the significance of college faculty and staff in recognizing student success on our campuses.

Do they know the importance Phi Theta Kappa membership plays in that validation?  Do they know the significant honor membership brings to a first generation or returning student?  Are they aware of the benefits of membership -  connecting with other scholars through Honors in Action activities, developing their skills with the Five Star Competitive Edge professional development plan, or preparing for transfer with CollegeFish.org – and the role they play in assisting students toward college completion and successful transfer?  Not to mention the significant scholarships, unmatched by any other student organization, available to members to complete both their associate and baccalaureate degrees.

For many of our chapters, faculty and staff are an integral part of their efforts to raise awareness of Phi Theta Kappa and encourage eligible students to accept membership.  Successful chapters make sure they’re aware of the benefits of membership, let them know when they launch their membership campaigns, and recognize them for being a part of that process.

If your college’s faculty is a significant contributor to your chapter’s membership success, tell us how.  If you haven’t considered them as a resource, involve them this fall.  Speak about Phi Theta Kappa at your faculty convocation, invite them to your induction ceremonies or other chapter activities, ask them to encourage students to accept membership, or host a Faculty/Staff Appreciation event on campus.

Now more than ever we need successful students, and successful students need Phi Theta Kappa!  After all, when students achieve academically, and are recognized for that success, we all benefit.

Greetings from Sydney!  The delegation has made our way from Melbourne to Sydney where we will spend the next few days taking in the sights in this cultural hub.  At first glance, Sydney is beautiful.  I’m not sure I’ve quite ever visited a city with such a vibrant feel.  It’s shimmery, shiny, bright, colorful, and just plain magnificent.  From the first moments we arrived via plane, the scholars began asking how soon we could see that famous Sydney Opera House.  We took a guided tour with our coach around the city after our arrival where we finally saw that famous opera house and were amazed by it’s beauty.  The delegation had lunch at The Rocks near Sydney Harbor with some amazing views.  In the afternoon we ventured to Liverpool Hospital where our nursing students in my delegation had the opportunity to see hospital wards and talk first hand with many nursing professionals.  It was a great way to start a few days in Sydney!  You’ll see me pictured above with many other Phi Theta Kappa members from across the U.S. enjoying our amazing view of the Sydney Opera House and harbor.

I’m on the second part of the ISLP China trip. The experience has been even more amazing. The great wall was one of the most intense experiences of my life. Both the view and the height of the wall were breath taking. I filmed videos of the wall and the view from one of the higher points, but I think that it’s something that you just have to experience to get. We also saw the Temple of Heaven. It was amazing. The Chinese certainly have some of the most amazing architecture I’ve ever seen. I could spend hours looking at almost anything that they do.

They’ve split us into groups in order to work on our “Collaborative Projects”. My group has decided to look at Strategic relations between America and China. It should be a difficult topic, but applying all of the sources and lectures that we’ve listened to will prove to be easier than it sounds. We’ve received talks at universities, embassies and conference centers on Diplomatic relations between China and various countries around the world. Diplomacy is turning out to be a very interesting field and many of the students are already studying it at their Universities. I may be one of the younger attendees, but most of the students are so open and eager that meeting people is not difficult at all. The nature of our sessions and trips facilitate friendship and our Faculty advisors encourage networking. I think that many of my new friends plan to come down to the Virgin Islands in the future. If not I’ll certainly be visiting them in the States and hopefully other parts of the world. Travel has been tiring but exciting. We will be going on an overnight train to Xi’an tomorrow night. I’m very excited. I’ve never slept on a train. It sounds like another great bonding opportunity, or at least a great story.

I write this blog as I sit at a café in central Melbourne, Australia as I sip on the most delicious latte. It’s day #2 of the International Scholar Laureate program and my scholars as well as myself have the afternoon for some independent exploration of Melbourne and the culture here.

It’s been a bit busy the past 24 hours as most of the scholars arrived yesterday. Most international flights from the states arrive early in the morning so scholars were given a guided bus tour of the Melbourne area before being brought to the hotel to check in. Last night, scholars settled in then joined their delegation for an orientation to Australia as well as dinner and a small group meeting with their faculty advisor for the first time. I have to say that I’m very lucky to have such gifted and talented scholars to explore Oz with for the next week. These students come from all across the U.S. as well as twenty-nine other countries including many local Australian students who have joined us. It makes for a very diverse and exciting learning environment. We also have well over a hundred Phi Theta Kappa members here in Australia with me and they are displaying their achievement proudly!

Today, the scholars met in small groups as we discussed program expectations, policies, our schedule for the week as well as many important items such as their career aspirations, cross cultural communication, and the importance of being a global citizen. After a morning full of curriculum examining international issues and cultural competence, the nursing delegation heard from Elizabeth Foley from the Australia Nursing Federation. Ms. Foley gave an informative lecture providing a comprehensive look at Australia’s healthcare system and understanding Australia’s medical environment. It has been an educationally interactive day!

Now I must go and finish my latte as I try to plan out some sights to see for this afternoon – the zoo or maybe a theatre show this afternoon? Maybe a dinner on Lygon street for some great Italian food? The choices are endless but I want to experience as much as I can. Cheers!

I am Esteban Smith and I am attending the International Scholar Laureate Program (ISLP) in China. Our group is studying International Relations and Diplomacy and after my second day I can say that it is amazing!! I got a chance to get very acquainted with a lot of the other students during the 20-hour flight from JFK. There are a lot of American students but there is a high level of diversity within the groups. There are students from South Africa, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Spain, Columbia and Australia. There is even another student from the Virgin Islands besides me. On Wednesday we visited Tiananmen Square and walked through the Forbidden City. And on Thursday we got to hear about Chinese and American relations at one of the Universities in Beijing. All of the groups got assigned to different embassies to hear from different diplomats. My group heard from the Mexican Ambassador to China. It provided us with more opportunities to hear of the relationships that other countries have with China. In my opinion, diplomacy is the perfect thing to study in a country like China. In the educational sessions, we hear about the culture and then get to view it from a very close lens during our cultural outings.

It has been quite difficult for me to adjust to currency and the time zone difference. I can only call home very late at night or early in the morning because of the 12-hour delay. The food has also been quite different. I had Pecking Duck for the first time yesterday. I loved it although some of my new friends were not as impressed. It has been quite nice to experience the new meals. Many of them are delicious and very different from the Chinese meals I’ve had back home. At first I was afraid that the people might not be very receptive to our group but, to the contrary, they are very kind and often curious. There is definitely a mutual fascination between the Chinese and Scholars. This is definitely an amazing experience and I feel like I’ve already gained so much by being here. I haven’t met a single person out of this large group who has had something negative to say about the experience, although some of the students are not looking forward to all of the walking we have to do tomorrow at the Great Wall. I’m very excited and I can’t wait to take tons of pictures! It’s been a lot of fun so far and it only promises to get better in Xi’an and Shanghai!

As I sit down to take time to write this entry, I am a week away from a departure that may be one of the greatest journeys of my career and life. During the next few weeks, I will be serving as a Faculty Advisor for the nursing delegation of the International Scholar Laureate Program (ISLP), and will be traveling to Australia. ISLP offers extraordinary pre-professional educational opportunities for outstanding scholars in Australia, China, and the United States. These short term study abroad experiences provide our scholars the opportunity to further their career development and strengthen their leadership skills while engaging in a culturally enriching experience. It’s truly a unique and exciting opportunity that members of Phi Theta Kappa can take part in. I will have the distinct privilege of guiding a group of outstanding students, including many Phi Theta Kappa members through a global leadership curriculum while using our host country of Australia as a living classroom. It should prove to be very exciting and enriching for both the scholars and myself. Studying abroad at any length of time is always an exciting, rewarding, and life changing opportunity.

As a first generation college student in rural Kentucky, I grew up wanting to touch the side of Big Ben – that famous clock known to everyone around the world. I would see it on television and watch, captivated by its detail and its seeming otherworldliness. I remember in 2002 during my undergraduate career I made the decision to study abroad in the United Kingdom through a program offered at my institution. I had yet to experience most of the United States and had flown on an aircraft only once before. My family was very nervous about my decision, but fully supported me in my quest to be a more global citizen. Towards the end of the first week of my stay, I traveled alone to that powerful, tall clock. I walked up the steps of what had for so long been only a cold image on a television set. I held my hand out and let it slide down the side of something magnificent, something beyond that little south central Kentucky town. I touched a dream, a dream that came to life for me.

That semester in London not only changed my life but my perceptions of the global context in which we live. Studying abroad is an amazing experience and I would encourage each of you to seek out opportunities and actively engage in them. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you as I travel throughout Australia with our students during the next few weeks. Cheers!