News Article

Charlotte PTK donates 986 pounds of books

May 13, 2011

PUNTA GORDA – Travis Baker may not qualify as your traditional college student, but the 44-year-old electrical engineering major is every bit invested in the traditional collegiate experience.

Active in various groups and activities at Edison State College Charlotte Campus, Baker was recently elected president of the Phi Theta Kappa national honor society. With a focus placed on promoting leadership and service for PTK members, Baker and his fellow officers – he served as secretary at the time – devised a plan to make a difference on a global level.

 Building off a basic book drive concept to promote literacy, Baker forged a partnership with the Books for Third World (BTW) not-for-profit organization. With collection boxes throughout campus for students to donate an assortment of books, the four-month campaign resulted in 986 pounds of donations.

“What surprised me the most was the students’ almost immediate response; it was just an awesome thing to see,” Baker said. “Even my dentist got in on it and donated several boxes when I told him about the cause.”

With 22 boxes packed to the rim, donations ranged from Stephen King’s best-selling graphic novel “It” to a calculus text book. Exactly where the books will be donated is left up to BTW, but the organization will provide PTK a grant derived from the assessed total value of the books.

“We are always looking for civic-minded things to do,” Baker said. “We brainstorm all the time on who needs help and how can we go about doing so. It has been a really good experience and it’ll be a good contribution from our chapter.”

Previous PTK activities Baker has participated in include volunteering with Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity and roadside cleanup along Edison’s adopted Airport Road.

While Baker may not represent the standard idea of a traditional college student, he very much represents a growing population within Edison State as more and more students embrace the civic-minded, communal leadership of Campus President Dr. Patricia Land.

“Our students are very engaged within not only the campus environment but that of the entire Charlotte County community,” said Dr. Christy Gilfert, Associate Dean of Enrollment Management & Student Affairs and PTK Advisor. “I think that sense of civic duty really filters down from Dr. Land, who is and always has been very involved throughout Charlotte County. She encourages similar activity amongst the faculty, staff and students with tremendous support.

“I think it’s really got to the point where we all feed off of and celebrate the accomplishments of each other and feel a sense of pride to keep it going. What Travis orchestrated through the book drive was marvelous and inspirational. I’m excited to see who and what comes next.”

For more information about Edison State College Charlotte Campus please visit www.edison.edu/charlotte or call 941-637-5629.

Celebrating nearly 50 years of excellence, Edison State College is Southwest Florida’s largest, most accessible and most affordable institution of higher education. Proud to be tobacco-free, Edison State serves more than 20,000 students per year in five counties and online.  For more information please visit www.edison.edu.

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Last Updated: May 13, 2011