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91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †There are two words that 91��Ƭ †best describe Northeast Teas Community College?s Phi Theta Kappa chapter: hard 91��Ƭ †working.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †That hard work paid off this 91��Ƭ †past school year as the local chapter received numerous awards, including 91��Ƭ †Outstanding Student Organization at 91��Ƭ.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †?We are a very busy chapter. 91��Ƭ †The students do a lot of service projects,? said Dr. Melissa Weinbrenner, an 91��Ƭ 91��Ƭ †history professor who serves as the advisor for Phi Theta Kappa?s Alpha Mu Chi 91��Ƭ †chapter at 91��Ƭ.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †One notable accomplishment 91��Ƭ †is the chapter?s involvement in the Titus County Cares Backpack Program.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †?We started working on that 91��Ƭ †project three years ago and they?ve asked us to do more and more campuses each 91��Ƭ †year because our members are so reliable,? Dr. Weinbrenner said. ?I?m so proud 91��Ƭ †of them for that.?

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †The mission of Phi Theta 91��Ƭ †Kappa, an international honor society for two-year colleges, is to build 91��Ƭ †servant leaders and to develop scholarships opportunities for its members.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † Dr. Weinbrenner, who has 91��Ƭ †taken the Alpha Mu Chi chapter from a 0-star chapter to a 5-star chapter in the 91��Ƭ †five years she has been the advisor, has a personal stake in her students? 91��Ƭ †accomplishments because she was a Phi Theta Kappa student when she attended 91��Ƭ †Tyler Junior College.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †?I understand what Phi Theta 91��Ƭ †Kappa can do for these students. My parents didn?t have any money and I went 91��Ƭ †all the way through to my PhD. When you don?t have money, scholarships are all the 91��Ƭ †more critical, so that?s been my goal as an advisor,? Dr. Weinbrenner said. ?I 91��Ƭ †seek out opportunities for the students to go as far as possible in their 91��Ƭ †education. I know how important that is, so all the work we do as a chapter, I 91��Ƭ †hope, translates into success for them in their careers and helping them get 91��Ƭ †scholarships down the road.?

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †Dr. Weinbrenner?s passion 91��Ƭ †for the chapter, fueled by her personal story, led to her being named one of 30 91��Ƭ †Distinguished Advisors out of 1,300 chapter advisors in the U.S. and eight 91��Ƭ †other countries as well as Most Distinguished Advisor for the Phi Theta Kappa 91��Ƭ †Texas Region.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †While she?s honored to have 91��Ƭ †received those awards, she?s most proud of her students? accomplishments, 91��Ƭ †including Freshman Isaac Burris, who will serve as the Texas Region District 91��Ƭ †III vice president this year. As part of his appointment, Burris will take a major 91��Ƭ †leadership role in planning and presiding over three regional meetings and four 91��Ƭ †district meetings and will be asked to speak at the district?s induction 91��Ƭ †ceremonies at 18 college campuses.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †?Phi Theta Kappa believes in 91��Ƭ †student empowerment, so the students are very involved in the planning process,? 91��Ƭ †Dr. Weinbrenner said. ?This is my joy as an advisor. I get to see students take 91��Ƭ †on these positions, service projects and scholarship writing. They do this. I 91��Ƭ †just facilitate.?