Palm Beach State’s Boca Raton Phi Theta Kappa Chapter earns distinguished honors award at international convention

The Alpha Delta Iota chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) at Palm Beach State College’s Boca Raton campus received a Distinguished Honors in Action Project Hallmark Award during PTK’s 2026 Catalyst Convention, held March 26-28, in Baltimore.

The award recognizes the chapter’s outstanding Honors in Action (HIA) project, “Storytelling Through Food,” which explored PTK’s international theme, “The Power of Stories: Ways Stories are Told.” Alpha Delta Iota was one of only 50 chapters honored out of more than 1,300 PTK chapters worldwide.

“Our students truly embraced the goal of using research and community engagement to make an impact,” said Kim Copeland, Ed.D., manager of the Student Learning Center and chapter co-advisor. “Their project showed how food can connect people across cultures and spark meaningful conversations about identity and belonging.”

Guided by Dr. Copeland and co-advisor Professor Sherry Hall, student leaders Wahida Nipun (President), Nihinsa Vithange (Executive Vice President), Naila Ochoa (Public Relations Officer), and Nelson Prieto Romero (Treasurer) represented PBSC’s Boca Raton campus at the international convention. Other contributing members to the project were Hilkeja Presendieu (Vice President of Service) and Zachary Swietnicki (Vice President of Scholarship).

The chapter’s research focused on the question: “How do people use food to tell stories, and what do those stories say about their culture, history, and identity?” Students also explored why it is important to share multicultural stories and how food can serve as a powerful storytelling medium.

Through campus surveys and academic research, the students discovered that while most PBSC students view food as central to cultural identity, some cultures are more widely represented than others. In response, the chapter hosted a cultural food swap and storytelling event, where participants shared dishes and reflection cards describing the cultural or personal significance behind their recipes.

Building on their findings, the students also presented their research during PBSC’s Arts & Humanities Week event, “This is Us: #PantherPride,” and at the PBSC Research Symposium on March 19.

Phi Theta Kappa’s Honors in Action program integrates academic research, leadership development, and service learning, encouraging students to tackle real-world community issues through research and collaboration.