In this Issue:

Asnuntuck’s Victoria Orifice Elected PTK International Division 1 Vice President

Victoria Orifice of Asnuntuck Community College (ACC) was elected International Division 1 Vice President for the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) — the international honor society of two-year colleges and academic programs.

Orifice became a member of ACC’s PTK chapter, Alpha Lambda Zeta, and flourished. This year, she was elected PTK Division I International Vice President and named Distinguished Chapter Officer at PTK’s virtual Catalyst 2020 international convention.

In this role, she is one of five international officers for the 2020-21 academic year representing more than 240,000 PTK members worldwide. The officers work to impact PTK’s mission and strategic plan, while providing professional development to members at local, regional and international events.
 

“Asnuntuck Community College provided me with an affordable option to begin my college education, ingrained with an exceptional support system and opportunities to start branching out.”

“Victoria's growth as a leader is indescribable,” said Michelle Coach, interim ACC CEO and PTK New England Regional Coordinator. “Her passion and drive for learning and bettering others are so powerful.  She has been a Phi Theta Kappa student leader for our chapter, the New England region, and now, for the world.  ACC is so proud of her, and we all look forward to seeing what she achieves in the future. Victoria has an amazing future ahead of her.”

For Orifice, attending ACC was a chance for a new beginning. She faced many obstacles that made high school a struggle, and felt that community college was her chance to start over. She initially attended ACC because the college was close to home and the most affordable option – but what she discovered was something much more.

“Asnuntuck Community College provided me with an affordable option to begin my college education, ingrained with an exceptional support system and opportunities to start branching out,” said Orifice. “Ultimately, I found a family that was more accepting of me than anywhere else. At a community college, I had the chance to make a difference in the community, while finding myself along the way.”

Orifice has held leadership positions at ACC’s Alpha Lambda Zeta Chapter of PTK and served as president and vice president-at-large of the New England Region. At the regional level, she performed constant chapter outreach, attended multiple honor society inductions, met with PTK members and participated in five regional conferences. In 2019, she received a PTK International Regional Officer Award.

“She is a champion for all students on campus, and at the same time, she excels in her studies,” said Coach. “She also can be found interviewing individuals on the radio and working for the Dean of Students on our Opioid grant initiatives.”

Orifice is also a passionate advocate for community colleges, people with disabilities and those in the LGBTQ+ community.

She co-founded a Disability Advocacy Squad at ACC, and served as the only student representative on the CSCU system Accessibility Council, advocating for students. She also launched both the “PTK After Hours” chapter podcast, and ACC’s student-run newspaper. She was published in the 2019 issue of Nota Bene, PTK’s literary anthology, and in Freshwater, ACC’s literary journal. In 2018, she was named to the CT All-Academic Team, and was a Coca- Cola Silver Scholar.

At ACC, she earned her associate of arts degree in liberal art sciences/liberal studies, communications, and is currently working toward an associate degree in fine arts.

Orifice said the ideal career for her is where she can make a difference in people’s lives, inspire people, and utilize her skills to the fullest. Right now, she is motivating and inspiring students to successfully accomplish as much as possible. Her best advice is to students, she said, is to, “Be you, do what’s right, and be authentic to yourself.”

MCC Students to be Published in National Phi Theta Kappa Journal

Two Manchester Community College students — Michael Randazzo (left) and Kat Terban (right) — are among 25 Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members selected nationally to have their writing published in the 2020 issue of the society’s online literary journal, Nota Bene.

Randazzo’s short story, “It’ll Be Ok Little Fellow,” and Terban’s poem, “Love Letters Exchanged at the Beach,” were selected from among more than 370 submissions to the 2020 Phi Theta Kappa competition, which is judged by current and retired college faculty and staff from across the country.

Randazzo, a Hartford resident, is a communication major who studies part-time at MCC, and Terban, a Manchester resident, is an undeclared major who entered MCC through its Adults In Transition program. Both students are pleased and honored to be selected for Nota Bene, which showcases the outstanding writing of Phi Theta Kappa members.

“Knowing that my words will be seen by the honor society that first embraced me as a member is amazing,” Terban said. “Since coming to MCC, I have been encouraged by a number of people to submit my work for publication, and I have found that they were right about the effect hearing my words has on others.”

Randazzo said, “I want to thank all the faculty at MCC for their support and encouragement, as well as the encouragement of my friends and family. They gave me the strength to believe in myself and pursue this Nota Bene contest. They give me the courage to follow my dreams, one day at a time.”

The digital issue featuring their work will be available on www.ptk.org this winter.