Oregon Six!

Katie D.

May 12, 2010 - 11:32 AM

I have received some wonderful news!

Phi Betta Kappa is an honors society active around the country, with members selected for excellence in undergraduate liberal arts study. Not only have I been selected as a member, but I am also one of the Oregon Six, who are selected from that pool of students on the basis of recommendations from their professors.

I am so honored.

According to the Phi Beta Kappa website at the UO,

"The Phi Beta Kappa society honors students whose undergraduate academic records fulfill the objectives of a liberal arts education. These students have met our rigorous membership requirements and are automatically notified during their senior years if they qualify for induction at June Commencement.

Each year six outstanding UO undergraduates are designated the Phi Beta Kappa Oregon Six. Their exceptional academic records combine extraordinary breadth and excellence in upper-division liberal arts courses with very high grade point averages."

The best and most wonderful part about this honor has been hearing from the faculty who nominated me. Some of my favorite professors-the ones I most respect and admire at the University of Oregon, saw fit to speak on my behalf. What an incredible affirmation!

In addition, many of the departments have sent out announcements. Here's the email everyone received from the Comparative Literature department:

Dear COLTs and Romancers--

It's the season of fetes and congrats, and let's send *many* out to graduating COLT major Katie Dwyer.

Katie has been chosen as one of the prestigious "Oregon Six" recognized by the Phi Beta Kappa society for their exceptional academic records, and for combining extraordinary breadth and excellence in upper-division liberal arts courses.

As Katie has chosen to minor in Spanish, I'm also sending this notice out to the Romance Languages undergrad. advisers for forwarding to the relevant lists.

Many congratulations on having your achievements recognized, Katie!

Yours in huzzah!,
Leah Middlebrook

I am so honored and so excited about all of this. My head is whirling. I feel incredibly lucky to be ending my undergraduate years this way: with the outpouring of support from the people I have cared about so deeply in these four years.

Congratulations to the other members of the Oregon Six, and to the rest of Phi Beta Kappa!