The oldest academic honor society at Florida State University celebrated the chapter’s 100-year anniversary during its annual initiation ceremony.
The FSU chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society recognized the century-marking milestone during its yearly initiation ceremony on April 9 at the Grand Ballroom in the FSU Alumni Center.
“Phi Kappa Phi’s motto — ‘Let the love of learning rule humanity’— beautifully captures the spirit of this occasion and the values that unite us tonight,” FSU Provost Jim Clark said at the event. “It is that love of learning that has guided our initiates through challenges, fueled their accomplishments, and brought you here today.”
In 1925, Phi Kappa Phi was the first honor society established at FSU – known then as the Florida State College for Women – and the first chapter of that honor society in the state of Florida.
The honor society includes students from all academic disciplines, at all FSU campuses and at any level from undergraduate to doctoral studies. Founded at the University of Maine in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi initiates around 20,000 members a year on more than 300 campuses across the U.S. and its territories.
“Phi Kappa Phi members have served in the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States,” said Assistant Dean for Retention and Academic Engagement Allison Peters, who serves as the FSU chapter president. “They have won Nobel Prizes, Pulitzer Prizes and numerous other national and international awards for service in their chosen fields. Phi Kappa Phi members have, for more than a century, sought to make a difference in the communities where they live and work.”
FSU senior Haylee Darling, a behavioral neuroscience and sociology student from Ocala, Florida, said she wanted to participate in the honor society for its collaborative spirit and opportunity to connect with others who share a commitment to learning.
“As a member of Phi Kappa Phi, being inducted into the honor society indicates that you are both learning and excelling in your field of study,” she said.
Darling is the student body vice president of the honor society and a selected member of the student council for the society’s national board.
“Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society that is invitation-only, which makes it discerning in its membership,” she said. “It is an academic distinction and accomplishment that I am proud to be a part of.”
For more information about honor societies at FSU, visit: honorsocieties.fsu.edu.