Phi Theta Kappa is offering students access to scholarships, specialized workshops about transferring, essay writing and much more.

P.T.K. is an international honors society for community colleges that has a chapter at Moorpark College. Invitations are sent out at the beginning of the semester to students with a 3.5 GPA or higher, and have completed 12 units, said Lee Ballestero, adviser and political science professor. To join students must pay a one-time, $70 initiation fee.

“It can help you with transferring,” Ballestero said. “You can put it on your transcript and it indicates a high GPA. You can also use it for the ‘awards and honors’ section on your college app.”

Ballestero believes that the fee is worth it and pays students back in the long run.

P.T.K. members receive a free membership to collegefish.org, a scholarship website that provides thousands of scholarships, some general and some specific for P.T.K. members. The website greatly increases P.T.K. members’ chances of winning, said chapter President Daniel Ruchman, a second-year business economics major.

“The difference is when you have five people versus 200 people applying,” He said.

Nearby colleges, such as California Lutheran University and Loyola Marymount University, recognize P.T.K. and give transferring students scholarships, from $2,000 to $20,000, according to the universities’ websites.

Every P.T.K. member transferring to these universities will receive a scholarship, according to Ballestero.

The fall club meetings will focus on transferring and applying for scholarships, Ruchman said.

“We have people from the scholarship office and transfer office who are going to come by and do presentations,” Ruchman said. “[They’re] going to show us what’s to be expected.”

There will also be essay workshops done by members of the writing center, focusing on application and scholarship essays.

In addition to academics, Ruchman said he wants the club to focus on campus and community involvement.

“We’re trying to do more volunteering this year,” said Ruchman. “Relay for Life, helping cancer, and a lot more.”

He believes clubs promote campus involvement and create a sense of belonging, something that can be hard for some students to find on campus.

“[P.T.K.] helps you get involved with your school and brings people together as a community,” Ruchman said. “You meet people on the same career path as you. It really does teach you more than you’re going to learn in the classroom.”

Through P.T.K. there are opportunities for research and developing projects to address on-campus or community needs.

“We need passionate students,” Ballestero said. “Study, look at the world around you, find something interesting and the chapter will help you.”

The club will have a P.T.K. awareness week this semester to create an on-campus presence, as well as to show students the benefits of the club.

For further information, contact the club at [email protected]