By Truett Jackson
Staff Reporter
On an unseasonably warm November afternoon, Stiffi Ysatam sat at the long-backed wooden Starbucks benches at the CNM Bookstore, assiduously working toward the upcoming end of term and sipping her coffee.
With the thoughtfulness and work ethic of someone who knows where they are headed, Ysatam carries an executive presence.
“I’ve always held leadership positions in everything I’ve done, and I’ve started an organization here in New Mexico. It’s called the Dennis Chavez Scholars. The members are from a legislative program that happens every summer, and we work with UNM”, she said.
Before forming the group with peers at the National Hispanic Institute in 2023, Ysatam had been quite busy since migrating to the U.S. with family from the Philippines. There, she had roles in school clubs as diverse as treasurer of the Arts Club, as a vocalist, photographer, and as her school’s social media editor.
She continued her passion for participation at Valley High School here in Albuquerque, then on to CNM, where she is, as might be expected, on the dean’s list.
Naturally, when she enrolled at CNM, she looked for opportunities to grow and connect. This led her to look into joining Phi Theta Kappa, a national honor society with a chapter here at CNM.
“The chapter that’s in CNM is called Alpha Upsilon Chi”, she said, telling me that it was initially the scholarships and waived application fees the organization provides that attracted her.
“A lot of universities have application fees. So, for example, if I were to apply to the University of Denver, since I’m a member, they waive that application fee.”
Ysatam says that she has been surprised by how big the society is, with chapters not only in each state, but all around New Mexico. Being involved has given her the chance to travel and network with peers that share her tenaciousness and acumen.
“A few months ago, we went to Southeast New Mexico College and got to meet a lot of officers from different chapters all over New Mexico. Next semester we’re going to Kansas City, Missouri, for a convention. And that’s what I’m looking forward to, because I’m already making connections with people who are in the same club from all over the U.S. on LinkedIn.”
She went on to tell me about all the supportive areas of the club, and how she has seen it benefit not only her, but many students with different backgrounds and goals.
“Another thing that really got me into it was the PTK Edge courses. It’s for different things that will help college students, like first-generation students, to navigate through the college experience. So, we have courses for employment, which teach you how to apply for a job, how to network.”
She says there are courses for many other things, like healthcare, help with transferring to other universities, and research.
“The research courses are mainly for people who are working on Honors in Action projects that each chapter works on. Our Honors in Action project is that we are giving books to the public libraries here in Albuquerque.” Ysatam is excited and proud of her accomplishments with the group. She perks up whenever asked about their activities. Since becoming president of CNM’s PTK chapter, she now takes a leading role in these ventures.
“We do a lot of stuff! So that’s the Honors in Action project, then we also have a college project, where we work with the actual college. So, we’re working with Wellness CNM in early December to distribute stuff.”
She says they are excited to work with Habitat for Humanity in the upcoming months, and that sometimes they get to have fun with it.
“For fundraising for our organization, we’re doing bingo! We had our first bingo recently, and it was really successful. I’d say we raised quite a lot from it!”
Telling about the connections she has made with not only her peers and advisors, but the CNM community at large, she says that there is a sense of gratification that comes with it all.
“We’re not just focusing on personal development, but we’re also involving ourselves in bettering the community,” she said.
“I’m gaining more experience; I’m improving as a person. I could see myself starting a hospital in the future, we’ll have to see. And even though I’m already let’s say, a doctor by then, I still intend to help out with this specific chapter, because this is where I’m from. I’m gonna give back, because it’s helped me a lot.”
She says that she sees the group as an ally and a bridge to the future. “I’ve been a member for less than a year, so I’m still learning about the whole organization. I found out that membership doesn’t end when you graduate from your two-year college. You could be in your PHD degree, and they still have stuff out there for you.”
There are specific requirements for membership, which can be found on CNM’s website. When asked if there was something Ysatam would like to say to CNM students, she kept it simple.
“Tell them to join us! Usually when people think of organizations in schools that it’s like extra work. It is extra work, especially since I’m an officer, but it’s not the type of work that makes you exhausted. I feel fulfilled. You get to work with all these awesome people and learn from them.”
To learn more about Phi Theta Kappa, you can visit www.ptk.org, or email ptk@cnm.edu with any questions.
