Finding balance between college, work and personal life took center stage at a community conversation hosted by the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society on Oct. 21 in Iowa Hall.
The event brought together students, faculty and club members to share experiences and reflect on the challenges and rewards of pursuing higher education.
Participants sat at breakout tables where they discussed prompts such as “How do you picture your future career?” and “What has been the most meaningful or difficult moment of your college experience?” Students shared their perspectives while faculty members listened, offered feedback, and provided encouragement.
A common theme throughout the discussion was maintaining balance. Many students opened up about the difficulty of managing multiple responsibilities while faculty members responded with guidance and reassurance. The event highlighted not only the importance of self-care and support but also the many campus resources available to help students succeed.
Every student has taken a different walk of life, and that was emphasized heavily at the meeting. Not every path is linear, and everyone’s journey is different. PTK’s goal was to create a space where students can connect with one another regarding challenges they face or continue to face while attending Kirkwood. Which let students know that they are not alone on their journey, and many others are in the same boat.
Phi Theta Kappa vice president Isabella Rhodes said she encourages all eligible students to join PTK. “You do not have much to lose,” Rhodes said. “PTK connects you to many scholarship opportunities, mainly transfer scholarships if you are planning to transfer to a four-year college.”
Rhodes labeled PTK as critical in her development as a person, giving her many opportunities to connect with the community and involve herself more frequently in student life. “I’ve made wonderful friends and have gained many skills in leadership that I would’ve never learned otherwise,” she said.
Wail Mohamed, liberal arts, attended the discussion and is a Phi Theta Kappa student ambassador. Mohamed said that growing up he kept to himself and settled to make himself smaller.
“All of high school I was that kind of person that was quiet and didn’t speak to anyone,” said Mohamed. “The reason why I joined PTK is because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone.”
Many other students learned valuable information from the discussion. “I wish I knew about this while I was applying to colleges,” said Jaydin Scharf, first-year psychology major, while discussing PTK scholarships. “Knowing that this many people want to see me actually succeed was really neat.”
“I just want to thank the wonderful people at the Civic Academy, namely professor Finn Kolsrud and Civic Academy president Briana Clymer, who both were a wonderful help,” concluded Rhoades. “This project would have never happened without them. The same goes for my wonderful officer team at PTK.”
Categories: Campus News, News
