Western Nevada College News & Notes: Second Annual Veterans Suicide Awareness March is May 7 in Carson City

The Western Nevada College Student Veterans Club and the WNC Veterans Resource Center invite the community to join in the second annual Veterans Suicide Awareness March at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 7 in Carson City. Participants will walk from the intersection of U.S. Highway 395 and West College Parkway to the WNC main campus at 2201 West College Parkway, and back, approximately 2.3 miles round trip.

The event seeks to bring attention to the reality of veteran suicide, which occurs 22 times a day across the United States, and every 2.75 days in Nevada. Along the way, walkers will view signage that shares caring thoughts of veterans, and also acknowledges the suffering and needs many veterans bring home from battle.

Participants will walk up the hill to WNC, where they will place small American flags on the college’s front lawn to show solidarity with those who serve.

College Inducts 60 Students into PTK Honor Society

Sixty Western Nevada College students were inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society during ceremonies on April 8 at the Carson Nugget Hall in Carson City, and on April 29 at Virgil Getto Hall in Fallon.

During the two ceremonies, five dozen students read an oath of membership and lit a candle to spark their own individuality, according to Greek myth.

Lynne Cox, a local business owner and PTK alumna, gave the keynote address before 45 inductees into the Alpha Upsilon Beta Chapter in Carson City.

Six of the inductees into Fallon’s Chapter, Beta Theta Iota, are Jump Start students who are working toward an associate degree at WNC during their final two years of high school. They are enrolled in Churchill County High School or Oasis Charter School.

PTK formed in 1918 and has served as a means to honor and encourage academic achievement for community college students. The organization also provides opportunities for individual student growth and development through honors, leadership and service. PTK presently has more than 2.5 million members and 1,275 chapters worldwide.

To qualify for PTK membership, WNC students must complete a minimum of 12 hours of associate degree coursework and maintain a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher throughout their enrollment at the college. The following students are WNC’s 2016 PTK inductees for Alpha Upsilon Beta and Beta Theta Iota:

Carson City Chapter: Hannah Anderson, Courtney Aragon, Earl Barbeau, Danielle Bates, Collin Bilger, Brandon Black, Melissa Black, Andrea Campbell, Rachael Capalbo, Andrea Clustka, Aimee Dougherty, Melissa Downes, Jesus Fernandez Garcia, Jamie Folstad, Jacob Fowler, Steven Fowzer, Rebecca Givens, Andrew Hettrick, Christine Higley, Alex James, Kasia Jorgensen, Hunter Kobold, Lucinda Koury, Nathaniel Kruse, Charleen Lawson, Kaitlin Lucky, Ashley Lyford-Mcgowan, Monica Marcinko, Todd Minto, Iulia Nita, Alison Orris, Jeremiah Paul, Maria Ramirez-Munoz, Morgan Remick, Julie Russ, Crystal Sandoval, John Smith, Ricky Smith, Tara Spurlock, Jordan Stout, Carly Talia, Matthew Tomlinson, Merlin Tryon, Jeremiah Ussher and Gennifer White.

Fallon Chapter: Jamie Ball, Michelle Celik, Kailey Davis, Sarah Inglis, Hallie Jim, Tesla Lyon, Heather Marty, Raymond Plasse, Malory Pruitt, Lana Quint, Ellicia Ramos, Savannah Romero, Whitney Skabelund, Zach Washbaugh and Grace Woodruff.