The Inver Hills Community College honor society chapter won three awards and two honorable certificates during the annual Phi Theta Kappa four-state regional convention held recently at Dakota County Technical School (DCTC).
The Inver Hills Phi Theta Kappa chapter was among the six chapters in the region to win a "2011 Distinguished Chapter" award. The chapter was also one of only 12 chapters in the region to win a "Five Star Chapter Development Plan" award, which is the highest level of achievement awarded at the convention. In addition, co-advisor Richard Jewell won the region's "2011 Dennis Anderson Memorial Distinguished Advisor" award, named after the former Inver Hills instructor and chapter advisor. The Distinguished Chapter and Distinguished Advisor awards include gift vouchers worth $850 each for two chapter members to attend the Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Institute in Denver this summer.
The Inver Hills chapter, along with the DCTC chapter, was given an honorable certificate for co-hosting the Minn-Wi-Kota regional chapter convention of Phi Theta Kappa, which includes 70 chapters from Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota. IHCC student Ezra Keane-Rudolph, of Inver Grove Heights, led the planning and development of the recent convention that had about 130 participants -- a new record. The annual convention features sessions on scholarship, service projects, leadership and fellowship. This year included a special session on the new International Honors Topic, "The Culture of Competition." Inver Grove Heights State Legislator Joe Atkins, Minnesota State Auditor Rebecca Otto and Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Scholar Dan Rooney -- the LaCrosse, Wis., advisor -- were the keynote speakers. IHCC President Tim Wynes and DCTC President Ron Thomas welcomed attendees during the morning sessions.
Finally, the Inver Hills chapter also received a certificate for participating in the "Feeding the Hungry Regional Food Drive." Inver Hills collected 97 pounds of food during the February food drive and the participating chapters in the four-state region gathered more than 5,000 pounds of donated food to support Second Harvest Heartland.
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Phi Theta Kappa is the honor society for two-year college students. The Inver Hills Phi Theta Kappa chapter was chartered in 1988 and has been a five-star chapter for more than 10 years in a row. The chapter as a whole has been head of the four-state region during this academic year, with IHCC students Keane-Rudolph and Paul Hamberg, of South St. Paul, taking turns serving as acting president of the region for the chapter.
