PTK students receive national, regional honors
Beta Nu Eta, the Citrus College chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society, is celebrating another national honor.
Beta Nu Eta received a certificate of recognition for its Honors Case Study Challenge submission in March at Catalyst, the annual PTK convention. This marks the third consecutive time the chapter has earned one of the only four honorable mentions awarded annually.
Their project, titled "Election Perspectives — State Redistricting: A House Divided Once More," addresses the timely issue of gerrymandering, or manipulating voting district boundaries to favor a political party. The submission included a case study summary, an essay on future implications and academic resources for additional study.
"We are incredibly proud of this achievement," said Areej Qasqas, adjunct faculty member and PTK advisor. "While the entire chapter contributed to the initial topic discussions, I'd like to recognize Alexander Algan, Beta Nu Eta president; Ben Parker, vice president; and Theo Gonzalez, secretary, for their leadership in writing and editing the final submission."
Earlier in March, the chapter's impact was further recognized through awards at the Nevada/California Regional Convention in Los Angeles. These included a First Place Chapter Leadership Award for the fourth consecutive year, Third Place Distinguished Theme Award and Third Place Distinguished College Project.
Additional honors included the Faculty Recognition Award for instructor Zavala Rodriguez, multiple distinguished officer and literary awards, and a variety of regional certificates recognizing excellence in leadership, service, environmental outreach, cultural programming and student success initiatives.
This article originally appeared in the April 2026 edition of the Citrus View.