Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation鈥檚 oldest and most selective multidisciplinary collegiate honor society. Membership is by invitation only and reserved for those who have demonstrated the highest levels of academic achievement. Only the top 7.5% of juniors and seniors and the top 10% of graduate students are eligible. Each year, approximately 20,000 members are initiated across more than 300 campuses in the United States and its territories. Since its founding, more than 1.75 million scholars and professionals have joined its ranks.

鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock has a fantastic student body, and Phi Kappa Phi represents the cream of the crop,鈥� said Dr. Rex Richard Wilkins, assistant professor of Spanish and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Phi Kappa Phi chapter president. 鈥淲e are proud of our students鈥� achievements both inside and outside the classroom, and we want our 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Trojans to get the recognition they so fully deserve.鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 connection to Phi Kappa Phi runs deep. In January 1972, Arkansas鈥檚 first chapter of the honor society 鈥� Chapter 134 鈥� was installed at the university, making it the longest-running chapter in the state. The chapter鈥檚 founding members were drawn from the Sword and Shield Society, the honors organization that preceded Phi Kappa Phi at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Today, the chapter boasts more than 3,900 members.

Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is about more than a credential. Eligibility is determined not only by academic record, but by professionalism, integrity, and ethical reputation. Members gain access to fellowships, grants, and awards across all fields of study, along with professional mentorship, networking opportunities through a national alumni base, and corporate partner benefits.

鈥淧hi Kappa Phi is a way to recognize students on a national level,鈥� said Wilkins. 鈥淭o be invited to our organization is no small thing; only the most academically meritorious are invited to join. So if you get an invite from us in the future, you鈥檇 better believe it is an honor!鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock congratulates the 40 students and scholars formally inducted the following students:

• Ayorinde Alase
• Fariba Allahyoorti Dehaghi
• Sydney Ambrus
• Heaven Anderson
• Amber Lynn Anderson
• Jessica Aston
• Rebecca Bandy
• Megan Benedict
• Parikshya Bhandari
• Heather Suzanne Bridges
• Amanda Campbell Thomas
• Kaylen Coke
• Margarita Cortina
• Tiffany Davis
• Elias Aaron Dulany
• Ty Ebsen
• Madeleine Flegal
• Allie Rose Gardner
• Madeline Ginsburg
• Bobbye S Guy
• China Higginbotham
• Ragen Jane Hodge
• Jason Matthew Hobby
• Aubry Janann Hutton
• Elizabeth Carol Johnston
• Jessica Limbaugh
• Taylor Long
• Grace Marie Oakes
• Rana Olwan
• Janiya Pettus
• Michaela Reynolds
• Lila Riggs
• Brandy Rollins
• Hannah Schneider
• Vicki Renae Shadell
• Kaylee Jewel Smith
• Amy Suddeth
• Jennifer Swafford
• Darby Tanner
• Joseph Veer

Their achievement reflects not only exceptional academic performance, but the sustained dedication and character that define the Trojan spirit.

For more information about 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 134, contact Chapter President Dr. Rex Richard Wilkins at rrwilkins1@ualr.edu or Chapter President-Elect Dr. David Montague at drmontague@ualr.edu.

The post 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Hosts First On-Campus Phi Kappa Phi Induction Ceremony in Over Two Years appeared first on News.

Through the partnership, Spanish majors, minors, and certificate students at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock are placed at Seis Puentes, where they assist with English and Spanish language classes, food drives, youth programs, and health and legal workshops. Interns typically work 80 to 100 hours during the semester and receive a $1,600 stipend through University Career Services.

鈥淭his internship demonstrates that learning a language is more than a resume builder. It bridges gaps and connects people in meaningful ways,鈥� said Dr. Rex Wilkins, assistant professor of Spanish at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淭his has become a model for what experiential learning should look like: students using their education to directly serve the community.鈥�

Since launching in spring 2025, the program has grown from four interns to six this fall, providing a total of 14 student internships over three semesters. Interns have translated materials for city and law enforcement agencies, taught language classes, assisted patients in medical clinics, organized food drives, and helped run youth camps.

鈥淪eis Puentes is a small nonprofit with only one full-time employee,鈥� said Raul Fernandez, a member of the organization鈥檚 board of directors. 鈥淗aving interns really strengthens our work by bringing more hands on deck to do anything from administrative work to client services to managing our social media.鈥�

Fernandez, a 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock mass communication graduate, said his own internship experience at K糖心Vlog传媒R, a station of Little Rock Public Radio, gave him an appreciation for the value of experiential learning.

鈥淚 had an internship at K糖心Vlog传媒R while I was in school, and I learned a lot from it. It was one of the best experiences I ever had,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to be able to give that kind of real work experience back to these students. The interns definitely add to their resumes by doing professional and community work.鈥�

Students describe the program as transformative. Lizbeth Renteria, a junior majoring in social work from Little Rock who interned over the summer, said the program strengthened her calling to help others.

鈥淚 worked at a youth summer camp and taught English as a second language,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t showed me how much of an impact consistent support can make. Translating for families reminded me how language can divide us but also connect us. This experience shaped me as a future community leader.鈥�

Ragen Hodge, a senior biology major with a pre-med focus and a student-athlete, used her Spanish skills to translate for patients at a medical clinic in Oklahoma. For the first time, she accompanied Spanish-speaking patients through the complexities of the U.S. healthcare system.

By the end of the summer, she had guided dozens of patients through everything from filling out paperwork to talking with doctors about diagnoses to picking up prescriptions at the pharmacy. One patient, a woman suffering from lupus and kidney failure, especially touched her.

鈥淚 was nervous at first, but when I met her and her family, that nervousness disappeared,鈥� Hodge said. 鈥淚 stayed with her through the entire process, helped entertain her children while she waited, and made sure she understood her care. As they were leaving, her little girl turned around and blew me a kiss. I almost cried. That moment showed me the power of language and compassion in healthcare.鈥�

Eric Brown, executive director of Seis Puentes, said the interns have brought new energy and expanded the nonprofit鈥檚 impact.

鈥淭hese students dedicate themselves to community service, and their contributions make a real difference in the lives of our neighbors,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his program bridges the university and the community in powerful ways. It鈥檚 relatively new, but it鈥檚 already making an impact. I鈥檓 excited to see it grow and to give students long-term resources that will help them in their professional and personal journeys.鈥�

Michelle Marshall, career specialist with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock University Career Services, emphasized the professional benefits students gain by completing internships.

鈥淏y funding internships like this, we鈥檙e able to provide access for students who might not otherwise have these opportunities,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey gain skills, confidence, and real-world experience that will help them in their future careers.鈥�

The program also reflects 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 mission to connect higher education with the community it serves.

鈥淥ur interns are ambassadors for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and for Arkansas,鈥� Wilkins said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e showing how language and service can transform lives.鈥�

For Jennifer Camacho, a junior double majoring in nursing and Spanish, interning at has been a life-changing experience.

鈥淚 would describe getting the opportunity to be an intern at Seis Puentes as one of the biggest highlights of my life,鈥� Camacho said. 鈥淲hen I was offered the internship last December, I recall feeling as though it was an answered prayer. I saw numerous ways I could help.鈥�

Inspired by the experience, Camacho returned this fall for a second internship. She said the lessons she鈥檚 learned go far beyond translation or tutoring.

鈥淚 learned how to listen to people who couldn鈥檛 speak for themselves, how to communicate more effectively, and how to be more outgoing and confident in what I know,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he biggest thing that my mentor, Raul Fernandez, taught me was that being bilingual is like having a superpower, which I am very lucky to have.鈥�

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