Nominations for the Golden Apple Awards are now open. The members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society will have until Oct. 19, 2020 to submit their nominees for the semester. Subsequently, the society will host an event to present the results and honor the hard work of the faculty and staff of Madison College. 

Since 1982, The Golden Awards have been a big part of the institution. Madison College believes in the importance of gratitude and appreciation, which is why it has been a tradition for so many years. Although it has gone through modifications over time, the essence of it remains. The purpose is to let the faculty and staff know that they are valued by their students and peers.  

Amid every semester, full time, part time and regional faculty members who have worked more than five years for the college can be chosen. However, nominations go to the teachers that have made an absolute impact on the live and success of a member. “I know sometimes there are teachers and staff who may not feel recognized by students. At least not as much as the students would like them to feel, so it’s nice to let them know how grateful we are and how much they have helped us,” expressed Claire Krause, PTK member, Vice President of fellowship, and student leader responsible for the organization of the Golden Apple Awards.  

There can only be one nominee per student and, as the reward, they receive a golden apple pin, a certificate, and can also entered into the ballot for the Distinguished Teacher Award. Winners are chosen during the spring semester; only three are selected.  

“The Golden Apple Awards are a way of spreading out the recognition and not just waiting until the end of the year. This way the students can thank their faculty members sooner and it really makes a difference,” comments Renee Alfano, Director of Student Life. 

The ceremony, like many others, will take a different format. Last semester, as the campus remained closed due to the pressure from the pandemic, it was clear that through such hard times the effort of the faculty could not go unnoticed. The Golden Apple Awards were hosted through an online live meeting. A PowerPoint was shared with the photos of the faculty members along with the kind words from the students. The participation numbers were high; it was the semester with one of the largest nominations ever received.  

Once more, the event will be 100 percent remote. Nevertheless, Student Life and the PTK society are working arduously on innovating the celebration now that there is more time to plan ahead for a virtual event. “We are hoping to make it a little flashier this time. We have a couple extra tools that we can use and make it look more professional,” said Alfano. 

According to Krause, the event will be premiered live on YouTube. It will present testimonies of last year’s distinguished teachers in which they will express what it meant to them being selected for this award and, of course, the reading of the student’s nominations. “It will be a really nice video. very cinematic, I think,” mentioned Krause.  

An online ceremony certainly has a different feel from an in-person celebration. However, the committee works very hard to ensure that the satisfaction of being appreciated does not falter. The festivity will take place Nov. 5, 2020 at 12pm. The link will become available through Wolfpack Connect and the event can already be accessed to add to your calendar. Don’t miss the opportunity to express your gratitude.