Blair Kelly

The new officers of the Alpha Zeta Lambda chapter of the international education honor society Kappa Delta Pi are planning to keep tradition alive this coming school year with events such as a school supplies drive and ice cream social.

“Now that the honor society is starting its third year, it’s nice to have traditions that we are establishing and events that people look forward to each year,” said Blair Kelly, returning co-president of the chapter. “We want to repeat several activities, such as the school supplies drive and ice cream social, so that they can become a tradition for our organization.”

The school supplies drive collects supplies in August and September for grade school children. The ice cream social is used as a recruiting event but is open to all UHV students. It will be held on Sept. 3 in Victoria and the UH System at Cinco Ranch.

The new officers will be installed on Friday during a planning retreat in El Campo. Officers and their hometowns for the 2013-2014 year are:

• Blair Kelly (Victoria) – Victoria Co-President
• Lauren Garcia (Katy) – Cinco Ranch Co-President
• Kassie McBride (Port Lavaca) – Victoria Co-Vice President
• Jennifer Barker (Katy) – Cinco Ranch Co-Vice President
• Autumn Buch (Cuero) – Victoria Co-Treasurer
• Kimberley Rogers (Sugar Land) – Cinco Ranch Co-Treasurer
• Victoria Loose (Bay City) – Secretary
• Monika Saadsaoud (Katy) – Membership Chair

The officers also are busy with new member recruitment. Now that there are more than 90 active members, the organization is focusing on recruiting more professionals and UHV faculty members, Kelly said.

Lauren Garcia

“The practicing professionals, those who have an education degree, are a valuable asset to the organization because they bring insight that student members don’t have yet,” said Kelly, a recent UHV graduate. “Our members see the benefit of networking and getting your name out there in the community. The more professionals they get to network with, the better.”

The next installation will take place Sept. 21 in Cinco Ranch.

Practicing professionals interested in joining the honor society must show proof they obtained an education degree. They also must complete one of the following: Show GPA requirements were met, have a letter of recommendation from their principal or be nationally board certified. Invitations to join also are extended to education majors who have completed 30 semester credit hours or more and have at least a 3.0 grade-point average.

Kappa Delta Pi is a unique organization at UHV because it combines students from two different teaching locations. Established in 2011, members include students, faculty, administrators and teachers from local school districts. The organization’s advisers are Amy Barnhill, assistant professor in the UHV School of Education & Human Development, and Steve Trowbridge, a retired education professor.

More information about the UHV chapter of Kappa Delta Pi and other student organizations can be found at www.uhv.edu/student-life-and-services/student-organizations/list-of-organizations/.