Thirty-one members of the Class of 2013 have joined Southwestern’s chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

Founded at the College of William and Mary on Dec. 5, 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest academic honor society. Southwestern is one of only 11 colleges and universities in Texas that have been granted a chapter of Phi Bata Kappa.

“Having a Phi Beta Kappa chapter allows us to do the thing we like best – celebrate the achievements of our students,” said Provost Jim Hunt.

Southwestern’s 2013 initiates were:

Emi Anderson

Katelyn Bartell

Erick Bauman

Sarah Bond

Shaylee Bushner

Cortney Carlson

Kalyn Chacon

Allison Chance

Allison Everett

Caitlin Ferrell

Anna Fetchick

Patrick Flanigan

Jenna Gaska

Christina Hadly

Kevin Hutzler

Steven Jones

Brady Kent

Angela Klemm

Lauren Knutti

Kylie Leblanc

Kristi Lenderman

Yasmin Leon

Stephanie McCauley

Kira McEntire

Marlys McKinney

Carolina Mendoza

Yvette Niyomugaba

Van Ngoc Thu Pham

Elise Riggs

Deborah Saddington

Rachel Thibodeau

The speaker for the induction ceremony was Josephine Thinwa a 2006 Southwestern graduate and member of Phi Beta Kappa who is now completing the M.D./Ph.D. program  at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio.

Thinwa said her most memorable experience as a Southwestern student was going to South Africa to fulfill her study abroad experience for Paideia. While there she studied public health and worked at a clinic that served patients with AIDS and TB. She hopes to specialize in infectious diseases after she completes her medical degree.

“That experience gave me the motivation to make it through grad school and medical school,” she said.