“Knowledge is power.” This phrase is the motto for one of the oldest honor organizations on campus, Phi Eta Sigma.

Founded at the University in 1923, Phi Eta Sigma is the first and largest honor society for freshmen college students in all majors, with over 365 chapters in the nation. The organization functions according to five branches: social, tutoring, philanthropy, service and professional development. 

“We are welcoming nearly 1,000 members this semester at U of I alone,” said Isabella Prenta, junior in LAS and Phi Eta Sigma president. 

Freshmen are sent an invitation to join the organization after their first semester if they have achieved a 3.5 GPA or above. They are then required to fill out a form and pay dues before they can become a full member of the organization.

After this, members are free to attend as many events as they would like. This way, they are able to mold the organization to fit their scheduling needs. However, members must achieve 50 active hours if they want to be given an honor cord for graduation. 

Major events for the year include an etiquette dinner and mocktail night. Members also can give back to the community through events such as Relay for Life or tutoring locally.

“My favorite aspect of Phi Eta Sigma is the impact the group has on the community and on the students at U of I,” said Kaitlyn Hull, Phi Eta Sigma senior adviser and senior in Business. “I really appreciate the opportunity to provide my peers with opportunities to participate in the community and make a difference in people’s lives.”

Being such a large organization, Phi Eta Sigma also makes sure to have social events for members to bond, such as family dinners, game nights and ice skating. 

“The social events are my favorite because I’m able to be with people who are motivated just like I am but aren’t afraid to relax, either,” said Kelsey Engel, freshman in LAS. Many members of Phi Eta Sigma share this ambition.

“Everyone just really understands their responsibilities and works hard at everything they do, which really makes the group special,” Prenta said. “We are all forward-thinkers and plan ahead to make the organization the best it can be.”

Prenta joined the organization as a freshman to become more involved on campus. The resources of Phi Eta Sigma were able to help shape her decision for double majoring in English and history. 

One of the benefits of being a part of the organization is having access to a peer-tutoring list. If a  student is struggling with a class, he can email another member who is strong at that subject to schedule a tutoring session. This resource is especially useful because of the large and diverse membership of the society.  

“Phi Eta Sigma truly tries to combat the stigma of just being something that kids put on their resume,” Prenta said. “We want to tailor it to everyone’s needs and offer every student in every major the most benefits.”

The society makes an effort to cater to all majors; it brings in speakers from various career fields, such as pre-law faculty or medical-school advisers so that many jobs can be discussed. 

Phi Eta Sigma takes consistent steps to improve their program. This year, its website was remodeled, and Facebook and Twitter accounts were launched to improve communication with students beyond the biweekly emails. 

“In the future, this honor society hopes to continue to build a reputation for being an active student organization whose mission is to better not only the community, but the student members themselves, both academically and professionally,” Hull said. 

Jolie can be reached at [email protected].