The Kappa Iota Chapter of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society welcomed 23 members on Friday.
Makisha Cheeks, an English professor and co-adviser of the chapter, said the university cannot let the dream of the students be deferred.
“What happens when our village allows our young people’s dreams to be deferred?” Cheeks asked. “There are times when students a part of this village become lost, confused and uninspired. Our village must not allow these students to fall by the wayside or let their dreams dry up and be deferred.”
Cheeks also stressed the importance of maintaining critical thinking skills, financial responsibility and hard work along with diligence in an era where technology simplifies the process.
Jacobie Green, a senior health science and pre-physical therapy student from Forrest City, Ark., and vice president of the Kappa Iota Chapter AKM, lit five candles during the occasion, representing the five missions of character, scholarship, service, citizenship and leadership.
Inductees then took an oath to continue the organization’s legacy by carrying out the five missions.
Christopher Andrews, a senior history education student from Miami and chapter president, spoke about how the organization has grown.
“I’m very happy with the turnout,” Andrews said. “Every semester it is better and better. People are really starting to take advantage of scholarships.”
ΑΚΜ is a collegiate honor society that recognizes academic excellence in students from all areas of study. To become a member, students must be classified as a junior or senior with a GPA of 3.3 or graduate student with a GPA of 3.7.
New inductee Brian Thompson, a junior criminal justice student from Tallahassee, said he was sent an email inviting him to join and grew more interested after further researching the organization.
“After doing the research, I just figured it was the right thing for me to do,” Thompson said. “But now I have to keep pushing in order to improve my GPA and take myself to that next level.”