Nearly a dozen area students attending Tennessee Technological University were recently initiated into Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.

Tasha Adkisson of Harriman; Angela Bowen of Lenoir City; Shelby Brooks and Jeffrey Parkison of Kingston; Lauren Craig of Coalfield; Shelley Edwards of Rockwood; Kristen Knight of Oliver Springs; Reanna McClure of Deer Lodge and Mackenzie Pugh of Crossville.

Additionally, Kellie Ball of Harriman was initiated at Samford University and Bryson Grimes of Lenoir City was initiated at Austin Peay State University.

They’re among some 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 percent of seniors (and 7.5 percent of juniors) are eligible for membership.

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create an honor society that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and the Philippines. Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”

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. For more information about Phi Kappa Phi, visit www.phikappaphi.org.