Members of the Waipahu High School Phi Theta Kappa, Beta Chi Omega Chapter, met on the UH West O’ahu campus on July 22, 2021, to discuss strategic planning for the upcoming school year. That the planning retreat was located on a campus that could end up being the destination for many of the high school scholars was intentional.
“These students are high achievers and they talked about wanting to encourage their peers to pursue post-secondary education, as well as how they can make a difference in their community,” interim Director of UH West Oʻahu’s Early College program, Brandon Carlos, said. “The hope is that the students will see UH West Oʻahu as a great opportunity to continue their post-secondary education.”
Waipahu High School is the only high school in the nation with a Phi Theta Kappa chapter, and is a valued partner of UH West O’ahu’s Early College program. Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them grow as scholars and leaders. It 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.
Chapter President Aleksei Zuniga said that the goal of the retreat was for chapter members to get to know each other better, along with discussing and presenting plans and goals for the chapter in the upcoming school year.
The retreat at UH West Oʻahu highlighted the benefits of Early College, including providing baccalaureate level educational opportunities to secondary high school partners. Participants increase their college and career readiness and learn the skills necessary to succeed in college and beyond.
“When I first heard about Early College, I was amazed at how students could take college classes while still being in eighth grade or high school at no cost at all,” Zuniga said. “Coming from a family of immigrants, I knew paying for secondary education would be difficult, so I decided to take advantage of Early College and the opportunities it provided, such as Phi Theta Kappa.”