For Immediate Release
April 7, 2008

Cañada's Honor Society Named One Of Nation's Best

Beta Zeta Nu receives numerous awards at Philadelphia convention.

Beta Zeta Nu, Cañada's chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, was recognized as one of the top honor society chapters in the nation at the group’s annual convention held last week in Philadelphia.

At the convention, Cañada's chapter was declared a Five Star Chapter for the tenth straight year. According to the organization’s website, “The term Five Star is interpreted as the peak of excellence when rating products and services such as restaurants, automobiles and hotels. The same holds true for chapters participating in Phi Theta Kappa's Five Star Program. Chapters will gain recognition for their success by meeting the higher standards of quality programming that the term Five Star symbolizes.”

The Cañada chapter also received Pinnacle Level for increased membership. The Pinnacle Award recognizes Phi Theta Kappa chapters and regions for successfully enhancing their recruitment and orientation strategies, as measured by the number of new members reported to Headquarters in a given year. This year, the Cañada chapter worked with the campus chapters of MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) and EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services) to increase the number of minority and first-generation students in the honor society.

Cañada chapter member Maddie Parks was one of only 30 students nationally to be recognized as a Most Distinguished Member for her efforts in service and hallmark writing. Loretta Farris was recognized as one of only 30 Paragon Advisors.

Finally, the chapter placed in the top 8 percent nationally for hallmark events and written documentation of these efforts. This year, the chapter helped rebuild homes in New Orleans, planted trees in Redwood City, and organized a successful lecture series on the Middle East. The Cañada chapter was ranked in the top 100 of more than 1,300 chapters nationwide.

For more information, contact Robert Hood, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, at hoodr@smccd.edu or 306-3340