TCC PTK chapters attend conference
by Amanda Leduc, Reporter

   TCC student academic leaders said they returned from Commerce with knowledge and memories that will last a lifetime.
   Officers and advisers from each TCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa made the return home Saturday, Sept. 27, from what they called a “fun and tiring” weekend of workshops, seminars and social events at the Texas Regional Leadership Conference.
    Kevin Hill, vice-president of scholarships for the Phi Tau Chapter on NE, praised the conference and its experiences.
    “The Texas Leadership Conference has to rank as one of the 10 most fun moments in my life thus far,” he said.
    The conference focused on leadership and how to implement those leadership skills to propel a PTK Chapter to the Five-Star status as well as complete the best Honor’s Study project that a chapter can present, Hill said.
    “I learned different theories and styles of leadership and also found more insight to the strengths and weaknesses of my developing leadership abilities,” he said.
    Lori Dickinson, president of Phi Tau was not as impressed, though she claims to have enjoyed herself and rated the conference better than those she had previously attended.
    “I just wish that we could have selected more workshops and that they had dealt more with leadership skills as opposed to leadership theory,” she said.
    The students said the hard work did not go without reward; among the social events planned for each night was the Regional Dance, offering a time for attendees to unwind and mingle with other Kappans from across the state.
   “I have to admit, the favorite item on the itinerary that weekend was the dance because it was a reward for a hard day’s worth of attending many different workshops. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it,” Hill said.
    With almost every chapter in the region represented, attendees met other academic leaders and shared strategies and ideas.
    “I met many different people from across the state, ranging from students at neighboring Northlake, Collin County and Cedar Valley colleges to colleges in Port Arthur, Houston and Kilgore,” Hill said.
     The Texas Regional Leadership conference has ended, but according to Hill, the friendships and lessons taught remain.
    “I established new contacts and found out many things about myself. I would definitely recommend this event to all Phi Theta Kappa officers or active members,” he said.
    The Kappans who attended this conference will now implement the lessons they learned last weekend as they work toward earning a five-star rating.