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Lincoln Trail College President Dr. Ryan Gower is one of just 28 college presidents that will be recognized with Phi Theta Kappa’s Paragon Award for New Presidents. Gower will be presented with the award during PTK Catalyst, the honor society’s annual convention, April 2-4 in the Greater Dallas Area in Texas.
The Paragon Award is given to new college presidents who have shown strong support for student success by recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and service among high-achieving students at their college. Each of the 28 recipients was nominated for the award by students on their campus. More than 500 college presidents were eligible to receive the award.
“We’re very proud and grateful Dr. Gower won this award,” says Kim Schucker, one of the advisors for LTC’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter. “We’re so grateful for what he does for students at LTC in terms of leadership development and scholarship development. He also gives them opportunities to go places they’ve never been when they attend conventions like PTK Catalyst.”
Schucker says Gower has been very supportive of Phi Theta Kappa at LTC. She says he’s worked hard to raise awareness of the honor society and he encourages students to join. “He also wants them to get the most out of it. He knows that students will get much more out of their experience if they are active members. He wants them to get involved in the college and research projects.”
Participation in Phi Theta Kappa is strong at Lincoln Trail College. The College’s chapter was recently honored with an award because the number of students that accept joining the honor society is higher than both the Illinois regional and national averages. LTC’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter has also been recognized as a Five Star Chapter, which is the highest honor a chapter can receive.
Phi Theta Kappa students have a 91 percent student success rate, and research has shown that strong presidential leadership and support of PTK increases member success and the depth of their college experience.
Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at ptk.org.
