OCCC’s Phi Theta Kappa recently visited Seattle, Wash., for a business convention.

This was not PTK’s first time to attend such a convention, said Charles Myrick, PTK faculty adviser and business and economics professor.

“Our chapter has visited within the past five years,” Myrick said.

In addition to Myrick, mathematics professor Betty Coleman chaperoned PTK President Larry Cagle and regional officer Landa McClure on the trip.

“(Landa) ran for vice president for the Oklahoma-Arkansas region,” he said. “She was elected and as a requirement of her office, she must attend the international confrence.”

Myrick said the international convention is a chance for students to meet peers with the same career goals.

“It allows students a chance to make social (and) business connections with like-minded students from around the world,” he said.

About 3,500 students attended the conference this year, Myrick said.

He said the convention offered both presentations and live guest speakers to educate students.

“This year’s guests speakers were Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of Hayden Planetarium in New York City and host of PBS’s NOVA scienceNOW, and Hilary Pennington from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,” Myrick said.

He said the group gathered a lot of information to bring back to OCCC’s PTK.

“We came back with a renewed vigor for PTK,” Myrick said. “Participants learned new methods to help the chapter research and implement the honors topic. Our campus has chosen education.”

For more information about joining Phi Theta Kappa, visit www.occc.campusgroups.com/ptk.