This is LaRhonda Johnon’s favorite time of the year. As dean of Retention and Student Success at Virginia Peninsula Community College, she takes considerable pride in every student’s success.
“I just wanted to pause and take a moment to think about all that we’ve accomplished over the last, not-so-quite 365 days,” she said at the College’s student awards ceremony April 24 in the Dr. Mary T. Christian Theatre. “You all are the heart of what we do and the why.”
The College’s Phi Sigma chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa national honor society took center stage at the ceremony, which was held for the first time since before the pandemic, according to Johnson. Phi Sigma was named student organization of the year after winning numerous state and regional awards. Top among them was the chapter being awarded five-star status. It was the seventh consecutive year it earned the highest available honor.
“It was very important,” PTK president Keri Brown said of extending the streak. “We strive for excellence, and it’s a way to attract new members so that they can be a part of greatness. It was really important for us to maintain 5-star (status).”
It was mentioned often in meetings, but Brown said there wasn’t any added pressure, nor did she think it was unattainable.
“We were doing things that we enjoy doing,” she said, mentioning the Honors in Action project, recruiting members, and organizing events throughout the year, all of which are considered when determining status.
The list of awards PTK won is long:
* Continued Excellence Chapter (5-star award)
* First place Distinguished Honors in Action theme (stories of persistence, resilience, healing, and sorrow)
* First place Distinguished Chapter Officer team (President Keri Brown, VP Alejandro Holquin, secretary Sophia Smith);
* Second place Distinguished Honors in Action project;
* Third place Distinguished Chapter award;
* PTK All-Virginia Academic team: Hanaa Abdallah, Christina Hicks, Melody Quijano and Madison Townsend.
* Lew Silverman received the Horizon Award (given to outstanding chapter advisers);
Brown said she’s most proud of the Honors in Action project because it showed a collaborative effort.
“I was able to assign different tasks for everybody, so it didn’t feel overwhelming for each and every one of us,” she said. “We were able to get it done.”
Other highlights from the ceremony
- The Ballroom Dance club was named student club of year. Look for a story on the ballroom dance team and club in an upcoming edition of the Navigator.
- Winners of the annual student juried art exhibition were Dean Royal, Makaila Spratley, Sarah Fank and Josiah Selby. They were recognized in the April 20 Navigator.
- Connor Mancuso was honored for his poetry. VPCC’s Connor Mancuso Named Poet Laureate for Virginia’s Community Colleges – Virginia Peninsula Community College
- The Student Government Association leaders for 2026-27 were announced: Chris Winn (president) and James Reynolds (Hampton VP).
- Hoping to be added to the list of clubs next year are the Muslim Student Association, Ping Pong club, Chosen Generation Gospel, and Student Nurses’ Association.
“We celebrated academic achievement. We celebrated the creativity of our students through art, the spoken word and just the passion and the energy that you bring about things that really give you motivation each day,” Johnson said. “The honorees here represent more than individual accomplishments, but the creativity and the responsibilities and what we bring in inviting each day. It just reflects our success and our perseverance and our determination.”
