National College Senior Honor Society
Camarillo, Calif., Sept. 29, 2016 — The Four Pillars chapter of Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society at CSU Channel Islands (CI) has earned national recognition for the third year in a row.
“This demonstrates how committed each group has been each year in pursuing all the requirements,” said Four Pillars Mortar Board president Lynn Utley, a senior Biology major/Chemistry minor. Utley recently accepted the award at the 2016 Mortar Board National Conference in Indianapolis, Ind.
With 228 chartered chapters across the nation, CI’s Four Pillars chapter was one of 34 Silver Torch winners. The Silver Torch is awarded to chapters that make significant accomplishments in the areas of scholarship, leadership and that provide meaningful service to their institution.
Members of Four Pillars conduct community service all year, which last year included a backpack drive for elementary school students in a low income area of Oxnard. The club also spent a day at the Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo leading games, activities and discussing the importance of a college education.
Only a few select students are invited to be members of CI’s Four Pillars Mortar Board Society. Members of Four Pillars must be seniors, show exemplary leadership and scholarship skills and have at least a 3.5 grade point average. There are currently 22 members of the multicultural group, which includes members from varied academic disciplines.
“The Four Pillars Chapter of Mortar Board at CI has been growing every year since it was established in 2011,” said Professor of Political Science Andrea Grove, Ph.D., advisor to the group. “We are very happy to have some of the best academic leaders on campus in the honor society and look forward to going for the Gold Torch award this year!”
The Gold Torch awards represent the next tier of awards given by Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, which was founded in 1918 to honor university women. It later expanded to include men.
The group is already working toward a Gold Torch in 2017 with plans for a CI mentorship program and an all-day holiday party at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles over winter break in which chapter members will conduct games and distribute gifts and toys.
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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.