The University of St. Thomas chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) received the Platinum Award, the highest honor for an individual chapter, at NSCS' Honor Gala Aug. 15 in Washington, D.C.
NSCS is an honors organization for high-achieving freshmen and sophomores with more than 240 student-run chapters at universities across the country. The St. Thomas NSCS chapter, founded in 2003, has 297 members.
NSCS staffer Colleen Grosch said the UST chapter has "gone above and beyond by creating innovative programs, expanding and improving existing programs and providing an exceptional experience for its members."
In late 2007, chapter president Krista Griffith and the other officers reinvigorated the once-inactive chapter. From creating a chapter Facebook page to hosting résumé writing and interviewing skills seminars to engaging in community service activities, the chapter has become a well-recognized, motivated organization at St. Thomas.
Griffith represented the chapter at the convention. The chapter also received a $500 Chapter Scholarship.