This is where it all started for me. I had just started my first semester of college in the spring of 2008, and I was working toward my Associate of Applied Science degree in Radio and Television (Telecomm Production). The school was hosting Information Day and the RTV students had a booth to recruit high school seniors to our program. As I came in to the atrium to take my spot at the end of a long table I passed this at the other end.
The person on the far right is Jennifer. She worked with me in the school records office. I saw her with her medallion and I asked her what she had won. She was the Public Relations Officer for the Alpha Gamma Alpha chapter, I learned. She graduated that spring and over the summer semester I took her place as the *P.R. Officer.
Here is a photo of me at my induction ceremony.
This is me and the other chapter officers during my first travel experience with Phi Theta Kappa. It was the very first Colorado Region’s Officer Boot-camp.
This is me getting sworn in as the 2010-11 Colorado Regional V.P.
Here is me a year later, swearing in my chapter president as the 2011-12 Colorado V.P.
A month later, here is Onjalai swearing me in as the 2011-12 Div. IV V.P.
What has Phi Theta Kappa done for me? I was only going to get my AAS and then get a job. Now I am transferring to Colorado State. Guess what I am studying . . . *public relations. I am also studying for the LSAT. That is something that I would have never even thought would be possible for me. Phi Theta Kappa has given me many other things, but the most important thing is friendship. I don’t think that this blog’s server has enough room to upload all the pictures of me with my new friends. Even uploading photos of me and my best friends would require a few pictures because we are rarely all in the same location at the same time.
One of the ways I have been able to make new friends is through travel. In some of my previous blogs I mentioned the travel I did in the fall of 2011. This spring I was asked to attend two regional conventions. The first was the Arizona Region, and the second was the Nevada/California Region. I wish I had the time to write about all the fun that I had during these trips—there was just so much! Spring is such a wonderful time for Phi Theta Kappa regional conventions. It makes me wish that I could have travelled to the rest of the regions in Division IV. I did get to watch several students take on the challenge and responsibility of becoming new regional leaders, and to them I would like to say congratulations! Through it all, I know the connections and friends I have made will extend through the rest of my life and well in to my professional career.
Here is me and the current and previous Arizona Regional Officers.
Here I am with the group of Regional Officers from the NV/CA Region.
Before I send my final salutations in my final individual blog as an International Officer, I want to inform you about one other opportunity I had. Also, you will learn about a great resource for you and your fellow students. If you read one of my previous blogs, you know that I attended the NCSD Annual Convention and helped Dr. Risely and our Phi Theta Kappa Deans give a presentation on C4. That presentation was nominated for an NCSD award and won. However, something else happened while I was there. I met a Phi Theta Kappa Alumnus named Isa Adney. She was a recipient of a $110,000.00 Jack Kent Cooke scholarship. She was also writing a book. Her book was released on March 15, 2012 and you can buy it on Amazon.com. It’s called Community College Success: How to Finish with Friends, Scholarships, and the Career of Your Dreams. Here is where I bring it back to my point. Because of Phi Theta Kappa, I had the opportunity to meet her and we later connected on Facebook. Since her book is about student success, she reached out to community college students to answer a questionnaire. I was one of the students she chose to quote in her book. I don’t want to give away any details because I want you to see it for yourself. Here is her Facebook page www.facebook.com//ccsuccess
So this concludes my last blog. Thank you all again for allowing me to serve as your Division IV Vice President this past year, and I hope you will come back to this blog as the new 2012-2013 International Officers post blogs here.
Sincerely,
Jeremy L. Mathis
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