Walters State PTK Finishes Second in National Donor Registration Campaign – WGRV.com

The Walters State chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community college students, won impressive honors at the organization’s national Catalyst Convention. The chapter placed second in the PTK Saves Lives Program, was named an International Five-Star Program and received individual recognition for Officer Melody Hawkins.

Through PTK Saves Lives, the chapter recruited new donors for Be the Match, now known as the National Marrow Donor Program. The National Marrow Donor Program matches potential bone marrow donors with people battling blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, saving thousands of lives each year. PTK has 1,253 chapters, and many competed for top honors.

“Our PTK students always rise to worthy challenges and succeed every year,” said Walters State President Dr. Tony Miksa. “This year’s leadership team demonstrated exceptional motivation. Their efforts this past year will likely save lives in the future.”

PTK officials began planning their participation in Be the Match in the spring of 2022. Chapter officials and advisor Dr. Lisa Eccles, professor of biology, became certified to collect donor information via cheek swabs. Throughout the fall, officials traveled to each campus and attended key campus events to provide information about the process. Those willing to become donors swabbed their cheeks and submitted information to the national registry.

“This was a huge volunteer effort, supported by students, faculty and staff from all departments and locations,” Eccles said. “This award truly belongs to the entire university, not just PTK.”

The award was presented at the PTK Catalyst in Orlando, Florida. During the convention, the chapter was also recognized as a Five Star Chapter for successful initiatives in the areas of reaching, discovering, leading, networking and engaging. Melody Hawkins, a social work student from Jefferson City, was recognized as an International Distinguished Region Officer.

At the state level, the chapter’s Be the Match campaign was recognized with the Tennessee Regional Service Outreach Award and played a role in the chapter’s recognition as a Tennessee Regional Chapter of Light. Eccles received the Continued Excellence PTK Advisor Award.