By Addison Chrivia, Editor, Rebecka Jones, Staff Writer, and Mary Arsenault, Staff Writer
College is expensive, so when someone comes up to you offering scholarships and opportunities to put on your resume for a small joining fee, many don’t hesitate to join. Honor societies can be tremendous opportunities, but they can also be scams made to prey on broke college students, offering little or nothing in return. Pellissippi State Community College offers many honor societies including Gamma Beta Phi, Phi Theta Kappa, NSLS, and more, each one a different experience that appeals to different kinds of students. Get to know the ins and outs of each organization and see which one will be the best fit for you!
Gamma Beta Phi
Gamma Beta Phi (GBP) is one of the most popular honors societies offered at Pellissippi State. In order to be considered, students need to maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher and, once accepted, have the opportunity to take on president and vice president roles in the program, which are great positions to grow leadership skills. Good academics, responsibility, and leadership roles are all boosters for resumes that GBP provides.
I spoke with our Managing Editor and Gamma Beta Phi member, Anna Trevathan, about her experience with GBP; she mentioned that they were cheaper to join and considerate in scheduling an in-person induction ceremony to honor the students, but this year, that in-person ceremony was canceled and turned into a virtual one.
“It was devastating [paying out] for an honors society,” Anna said, “and then them not having the decency to host a small ceremony to celebrate their students [was also devastating].”
Speaking over the computer versus in-person makes it difficult to have fellowship and develop relationships with others – in the context of a virtual induction ceremony, members don’t get the chance to experience applause and appreciation for their achievements because, instead of being on a stage where they’re handed their certificate and immersed in the environment, they’re sat in front of a computer and told over the screen that they got inducted.
On top of that, students have to pay to be in the organization. They expect to get the appropriate treatment because they paid $85 to participate and not holding an in-person ceremony made the payment feel like a waste of money to Anna.
It was tough getting in contact with the advisor of this honors society because they would not respond to emails.
However, I was able to get in touch with a Gamma Beta Phi advisor, Douglas Devaney, through my peers from Imaginary Gardens. He answered my questions kindly and thoroughly, speaking on the fact that being involved helps with developing resumes, which is important for students seeking jobs after graduation.
“It shows that you merited an invitation to the society,” Mr. Devaney explained. “It says something to prospective employers when you graduate—that you were working hard because you maintained the standard to get in.”
Another thing Gamma Beta Phi helps students with is applying for scholarships. Although it might not be scholarships that cover full tuition, it’s still a scholarship that can be added to a resume and help with finances. Even if it’s a $500 scholarship, it could help cover necessities like textbooks or class fees to take a couple of things off a college student’s long list of things to pay for.
For students who are interested in joining, they can attend fairs on any of the Pellissippi State campuses and find booths where they’re advertising the honors society.
In terms of what members do in GBP, Mr. Devaney says that this organization has a theme every year on which they base their serving opportunities. This year, the theme is education and reading, so members will go to local schools and participate in some sort of reading or mentoring of younger students.
Giving students different places to serve every year helps make society activities less repetitive and more engaging. Through these acts of service, they get the chance to experience the different challenges that come from different places and develop adaptability, another quality of a leader.
In my interview with Devaney, I asked what prompted the decision for Gamma Beta Phi to hold a virtual induction ceremony instead of an in-person one and how they planned to create a community moving forward without as many face-to-face interactions.
“Some of that is dependent upon the numbers [of new students] that are coming in… and our ability to try to organize and help the board set something up,” Mr. Devaney explained.
There were also outside factors, like familial obligations board members had to focus on that pushed them to choose to do a virtual induction ceremony instead, and it was more convenient than having to get the supplies to have an in-person ceremony.
Although there are still flaws in Gamma Beta Phi, it seems advisors are open to finding ways to improve it if students reach out and express their concerns. Mr. Devaney even encouraged students who have any questions or suggestions to email him – he vowed to take student suggestions to the board so they can make changes for the future.
The National Society of Leadership and Success
Another popular honors society offered at Pellissippi State is The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS). When looking to join an honor society, one might wonder what makes NSLS stand out – according to their Vice President, Jake Smith, one big thing that sets them apart is that NSLS is the only accredited leadership honor society in the United States.
To join NSLS, one must have at least a 2.5 GPA, and if the college thinks there is leadership potential, they will recommend students for an invitation from NSLS. If you don’t get an invitation and would like to join, there is an application online to start the nomination process. To become an inducted member, there is a 5-step process.
- Pay the Fee ($95)
- Orientation
- Leadership Training Day
- Watch live Speaker Broadcast
- This includes videos of interviews with famous members such as Matthew McConaughey, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban, and Ariana Huffington
- Attend 3 Success Networking Team Meetings
- Set a goal and create 3 action steps to achieve that goal, usually with other new members working towards induction
Once inducted, members have access to over $400,000 in annual scholarships and awards, exclusive job boards to connect with employers, and personalized letters of recommendation. Some other perks that come with NSLS membership are discounts for insurance, electronics, Better Help therapy, Target, and many more.
Like any large group, experiences vary widely among members. While some members find NSLS to be supportive and engaging, one anonymous member interviewed for this story said it felt like a scam, as they sent out many emails soliciting recruitment and even resorted to the infamous ‘This is your last chance to join’ then ‘the deadline is extended just for you’ combo. Once NSLS had the money requirement, they didn’t seem to care if the person completed the process to be inducted – keep in mind that if you don’t complete the process, the money is not refunded, it’s just gone. This person continued to explain that the process felt very corporate and impersonal, which was not what they were looking for.
If joining an honor society is something of interest to you, make sure to find the one that fits you and the level of involvement you’re looking for. NSLS is an active organization, and they put a lot of focus on leadership training and networking with like-minded people, building relationships, and creating positive change in the world. Even so, always make sure the vibe and time commitment of an honors society match what you’re looking for.
Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) was founded specifically for two-year schools, focused on developing relationships with countless colleges and four-year universities that a student could transfer to and still get a scholarship. If you’re transferring to the University of Tennessee, you can get many PTK-specific scholarships, including the Lincoln Memorial scholarship, if you’re an active member. On their website, you can easily search through scholarships, whether you’re looking for a full ride or a flexible deadline. There’s also no lengthy process to prove your eligibility, which has been a huge help to students, and there’s even a workforce scholarship that someone won last year that granted $200 to help buy tools.
All of this is great, but what does a member of PTK actually do? While scholarships are a huge part of their organization, equally so are the fellowship, leadership, and service opportunities. Every year, there are two projects that members participate in: the honors in action and a college project. In this year’s action event, students have been looking into what the choices people make with their appearance say to others. The students recently showed off this project, putting together a Swap and Shop on campus on November 15th, featuring face-painting, jewelry making, and clothing trading.
Dr. Jennifer Horn, an advisor for Phi Theta Kappa, informed me that “We don’t have [participation] requirements, so you can be as involved as you’re able to be… once you have your invitation [and] you accept it, you’re a member. We love it when people are able to come do more things and be actively involved, but if you can’t, we understand academics are the most important thing.”
Members of PTK are invited via email; you must have a GPA of 3.5 to qualify and 3.0 to maintain membership. Once a member, you can attend the monthly Zoom meetings, help with the projects when you can – but, most importantly, how involved you are is up to you, as the main thing that makes PTK stand out is that involvement is purely voluntary. Dr. Horn states, “If you know you’re not going to be able to put in the time for Gamma Beta Phi, watching all of the videos and doing all the activities with NSLS, we might be a good fit for you.”
One thing members have complained about is the lack of certificates and pins at the induction ceremony this year. There was no physical way to honor their commitment to Phi Theta Kappa as they were promised. They also never received information on whether they will ever get those items in the future.
Final Thoughts
With companies constantly trying to scam young students out of their money, it’s important to stay informed about organizations before giving them yours. NSLS is an organization that has a plethora of online complaints about it being a scam, with many people paying the fee and only getting videos to watch in return. With an honor society like Gamma Beta Phi, some might consider it to be a scam simply because they’re uninvolved in it and don’t bother to do the work or be committed beyond joining. For a lot of honor societies, it’s more about what you make of it; if you’re looking for a flexible club that doesn’t require involvement, Phi Theta Kappa might be the option for you.
Whether you want to be going to meetings every week and taking on a leadership role and gaining experience, or just paying a fee and becoming a member, Pellissippi State has options for everyone. The right choice depends on you and what you want to get out of it.
