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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 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!

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!

L to R are: Luke Davis - Phi Theta Kappa, Sherry Rietz – Oakland Community College, & Dan Karlskin – Northwestern Michigan College.

I recently have the privilege of attending the Michigan All-State Academic Team reception and luncheon held in the state capital of Lansing with legislators, education leaders, and corporate leaders all in attendance. It was a beautiful day filled with so many smiling faces all dressed in their best attire for a few hours of recognition that these high achieving students deserved.

The few hours spent together were filled with an amazing keynote address, recognition of all of the scholars for their accomplishments, and a special tribute to Tom Obee for his service to the Michigan region of Phi Theta Kappa. The luncheon was sponsored by the Michigan Community College Association (MCCA) who is the primary advocate organization for the state’s twenty-eight public community colleges.

In partnership with USA TODAY, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, the Coca-Cola Foundation, American Association of Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa, the All-USA/All-State Community College Academic Team Programs honor 370 students with nearly $500,000 in stipends annually. Members of the academic teams are representatives of all outstanding community college students around the world.

A heartfelt thanks goes to USA Today and Coca-Cola for sponsoring these wonder programs that have impacted so many lives. For more information on the All-USA and Coca-Cola All-State Community College Academic program, please visit this link: http://www.ptk.org/schol/aaat/announce.htm

The Kansas regional officer team, KS Regional Coordinator Tammy Fuentez, along with the host chapters put on a magical fall Honors Institute on November 6-7 in Pittsburg, KS at Pittsburg State University.

This year’s theme was “Choices of the Past, Choices of the Future.” The conference began on Friday evening with Honors In Action committee meetings and continued with an icebreaker activity and dinner with the scholar’s assigned seminar groups for the weekend. The first general session was filled with amazing information such as the Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters’ Update along with speakers Walter Kennedy from the Joplin Globe and Ed Keheley, a resident from Picher, OK who is currently writing a book on the Superfund site Tar Creek. It was truly an amazing keynote that really opened our eyes on the pollution that has been done to once such a booming mining region. Seminar group discussions followed the keynote address and the night ended with amazing fellowship time of bowling, swimming, and Kappa Klatch practice.

Saturday morning we awoke bright and early for a great breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express in Pittsburg and then moved over to PSU for the second general session which featured speaker James Otter, Professor and Department Chair of Construction Management and Construction Engineering Technologies. His presentation was very interesting and led to much discussion in the seminar groups that followed the opening session. Many workshops were available during the sessions following including: Five Star Chapter Development, Running for Regional Office, and Study Abroad. The day continued with lunch in seminar groups, a town hall meeting, regional business meeting and finally concluded with a service project with Habitat for Humanity.

I always have such a great time in the state of Kansas and am thankful for their great Midwest hospitality and warm welcome every time I visit. The week preceding the Honors Institute I visited with Phi Theta Kappa chapters in Kansas City, Topeka, Iola, & Fort Scott. I drove through lots of great Kansas farmland and it’s truly a beautiful Midwest state! I look forward to getting back again soon.