“Tonight, we have our induction ceremony for our new members for the 2022-2023 academic school year for Phi Theta Kappa. It is the national honor society for all Brookdale students with a 3.7 GPA and above, so we are celebrating their academic achievements tonight,” said Christina Urbano, PTK’s vice president of leadership and a 20-year-old education major from Monroe Township.

PTK inducted about 21 students during the ceremony held Monday, Nov. 7, in the Navesink rooms of the Student Life Center.

“You are the most valuable asset to Brookdale, our communities and our nation,” Professor Angela Saragusa, PTK’s adviser, said. “It is no mistake that each of you are here at this time in your lives, for each of you carries a purpose beyond measure – to fulfill a mission to lead, serve and excel. I would leave you with this: lead, serve with kindness and be open to learning through the experiences of others.”

During the ceremony, inductees took the PTK pledge and received certificates and a white rose, signifying purity, all while friends and family cheered them on.

The inductees also lit a candle and signed their names in a book of members.

“I feel really great. It is really a nice opportunity to not just be part of a great group but also to see my efforts scholastically pay off,” said inductee Samuel Cook, a culinary student from Toms River.

“It really is an exciting moment,” BCC President David Stout said. “This is also about the service you provide to people in the community. . . You have a tool in Phi Theta Kappa. It is not just an organization that can help you. It is also an organization through which you can help a whole lot of people.”

Along with the new members, PTK celebrated the group’s officers and awarded them official pins in recognition of their work while in office.

“The one message I would try to push is to continue to try to raise people around you up,” said State Senator Vin Gopal. “The element of civility and kindness, I think, is something that we need to think about: how to unify us.”