Dr. Trevor Hunt and Robin Nix have been recognized for five years of service to Phi Theta Kappa at Pearl River Community College. Phi Theta Kappa is known as the foremost honor society for two-year colleges with over 1,300 chapters worldwide.
PRCC has hosted a Phi Theta Kappa chapter for over 60 years. The Iota Mu Chapter represents the Poplarville and Hancock County campuses, while the Beta Tau Gamma Chapter represents the Forrest County campus.
Academically successful students are extended an invitation to join in the fall and spring semesters via email. They must have completed at least 12 credit hours of non-remedial courses with a minimum cumulative 3.4 GPA.
Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Fellowship are the four hallmarks of PTK. Students, alongside the administration, conduct a service-based “College Project” as well as a research-based “Honors in Action” project that seeks to have a positive impact on the community. On the PRCC campus, students have also supported blood drives, marrow donor drives, Homecoming Carnival, and the Winter Wonderland.
Hunt joined the PRCC faculty in 2007 as an adjunct guitar and music appreciation instructor. He added additional classes taught when he transitioned to Lead Online Instructor for Fine Arts and Communications. He is currently the Chair of the Fine Arts and Communications department and Director of the Ethel Holden Brownstone Center for the Arts.
Hunt believes that his time with PTK has led to some of the most fulfilling experiences of his career.
“There is nothing quite like the feeling of mentoring students through the different stages of an Honors in Action project and witnessing their growth in knowledge and confidence,” said Hunt. “I couldn’t be prouder of these students.”
Last year, the Honors in Action team at PRCC researched the effects of illiteracy on communities in rural Mississippi. Iota Mu students hosted a book fair and delivered two books and other reading items to every student in five local third-grade classrooms.
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
A Poplarville native, Nix returned to her hometown to teach. She has been an instructor at PRCC since 2002 and currently teaches Spanish and Geography. She has found her time with Phi Theta Kappa to be quite rewarding.
“I get to develop close relationships with our PTK students and see their growth and successes,” said Nix. “Also, I love that I get to facilitate scholarships for our students.”
Phi Theta Kappa students are eligible for automatic transfer scholarships to many colleges and universities. These scholarships are awarded by the four-year institution. In Mississippi, these range from $8,000 to full tuition. Also, PTK students are eligible to apply for additional competitive scholarships, such as the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship for up to $40,000 per year for up to three years. Last year was a banner year as PRCC PTK had three members awarded the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship.
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