February 25, 2026
Fifty-three students were welcomed into 91福利鈥檚 Beta Tau Gamma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa international honor society on Monday, Feb. 23.
The induction ceremony was held in the J. Cecil Burt Special Events Room at the Forrest County Campus with family members and other guests in the audience.
Phi Theta Kappa is known as the foremost honor society for two-year colleges with over 1,300 chapters worldwide.
Students elected for membership are considered academically successful having completed at least 12 credit hours of non-remedial courses with a minimum cumulative 3.4 GPA.
Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Fellowship are the four hallmarks of PTK. The current officers briefly shared how those hallmarks have played out for them as members of PTK.
Before the students took the PTK oath, Dr. Ryan Ruckel, Dean of the William Lewis Honors Institute and Phi Theta Kappa Regional Coordinator spoke to the importance of membership in Phi Theta Kappa.
鈥淲e at PRCC are your college,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his membership is a great way to move forward with your education.鈥�
Dr. Jana Causey, Vice President of the Forrest County Campus, echoed those same sentiments.
鈥淲e are all here to support you,鈥� Dr. Causey told the students. 鈥淲e want to be part of your story. You story is that you are Wildcats. And you will go and do great things.鈥�
Guest speaker for the event was Annie Watts, Assistant Director of Admissions at Ole Miss.
Dr. Douglas Donohue, Associate Dean and Beta Tau Gamma Advisor, gave the Invocation; Dr. Greg Underwood, Academic Dean, gave a special greeting; and PRCC music instructor Dr. Rudy Gatlin provided special music.
Beta Tau Gamma advisors include Dr. David Collum, Dr. Donohue, Dr. Ruckel, Dr. Terri Ruckel and Said Otwane.
PRCC students inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Beta Tau Gamma chapter for 2026 spring semester are:
Leila Allen of Hattiesburg, Robert Manuel Ramos Arteaga of Arequipa, Peru, Oneste Bennett of Meridian, Madison Marie Mone of Hattiesburg, Samia Booth of Hattiesburg, Karrington Boren of Seminary, Amaria Bowie of Hattiesburg, Keyana Boyd of Meridian, Ashlynn Broom of Foxworth, Shayna Brown of Richton.
Valerie Brown-Bolton of Ellisville, Kloey Cameron of Purvis, Sidney Cameron of Gulfport, Katie Campbell of Sumrall, Blaize Christian of Hattiesburg, Azlyn Conway of Columbia, Trinity Dennis of Hattiesburg, Tayeisha Dixon-Morrissette of Hattiesburg, Molly Entrekin of Lumberton, JT Freeman of Petal.
Abbie Evans of Lucedale, Aida Gibb of Petal, LilyAnn Harris of Hattiesburg, April Hill of Petal, Rakitta Hooker of Petal, Anthony Kun of Bassfield, Krishonna Lampkin of Petal, Nancy Kate Langley of Gulfport, Jon Layton of Mize, David Mardis of Sumrall.
Ethan Moody of Hattiesburg, Cameron Morris of Hattiesburg, Kenya Morris of Hattiesburg, Annie Nguyen of d鈥橧berville, Murlin Lee Palmer of Brooklyn, Richard Petersen of Ellisville, Faith Pierce of Hattiesburg, Madison Pugh of Petal, Nolan of Ellisville, Aniyah Reynolds of Hattiesburg.
Seth Rhodus of Petal, Sydney Maxwell Rivers of Hattiesburg, Emma Rollison of Hattiesburg, Bryant Showers of Magee, Kristina Smith of Purvis, Carolyn 鈥淐onnar鈥� Stubbs of Hattiesburg, Charlie Stasny of Poplarville, Marin Sumrall of Petal, Ian Thompson of Hattiesburg, Sophia Tillman of Hattiesburg.
Tyler Trigg of Petal, Asia Walker of Hattiesburg and Stella Whalum of Columbia.
According to Dr. Donohue, the total number of new Beta Tau Gamma members so far this semester is 132.
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Article by Chuck Abadie. Photography by Cullin Rogers.
