Camarillo, Calif., Oct. 21, 2015 – The Four Pillars chapter of Mortar Board at CSU Channel Islands (CI) was named for a second consecutive year among the nation’s top chapters for 2015.
CI’s chapter of the national honor society earned the Silver Torch Award, presented to outstanding Mortar Board chapters that exemplify the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service and meet all standards and deadlines.
Only 45 of the nation’s 231 Mortar Board chapters earned a Silver Torch Award. The awards were presented during the 2015 Mortar Board National Conference, held over the summer in Phoenix. The current Four Pillars Chapter President was at the conference to accept the award. Rachel Wess, a senior majoring in psychology, said, “We're so excited to be presented with this award. Last year's group did a wonderful job and we hope we can continue to grow.”
Founded in 2011 and composed of 22 students for 2015-16, CI’s Mortar Board is the premier national honor society recognizing college seniors for superior achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Members are students with cumulative GPAs of over 3.5 and a demonstrated and ongoing commitment to their studies, campus and community.
Mortar Board members attend regular meetings and participate in community service and campus enrichment activities. For example, last fall the group organized and ran a school supply drive for the Rio School District. The effort filled more than 80 student backpacks with supplies for the school year. This year the Four Pillars chapter will work again with CI’s Gamma Beta Phi on the same project.
For more information, contact the group’s advisors, Andrea Grove at andrea.grove@csuci.edu or 805-437-3124, or Janet Pinkley at janet.pinkley@csuci.edu or 805-437-3217.
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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.