Previous Story
Echaluse inducted into Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
|
Posted on Jul 14 2020
An alumna of Marianas High School was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.
Ma. Vida Amor Echaluse, who also went to Garapan Elementary School and now lives in Portland, Oregon, was initiated at Portland State University. She is among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year.
Membership is by-invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10% of seniors and 7.5% of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10% of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann, who wanted one that recognizes excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the society has chapters on more than 300 campuses.
According to her mother, Echaluse is a model of resilience. “She was married by the time she was 18 and stopped schooling after high school. …After 10 years, she decided to go back to college. She did two years here [at Northern Marianas College] then got a full scholarship from Build Exito to attend school in Portland,” said Malou Berueco.
Since its founding, more than 1.5 million members have been initiated into Phi Kappa Phi. Some of the organization’s notable members include former president Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist John Grisham and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley.
Each year, Phi Kappa Phi awards nearly $1 million to outstanding students and members through graduate and dissertation fellowships, undergraduate study abroad grants, funding for post-baccalaureate development, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives. (Saipan Tribune)
