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Otero College Inducts New Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Members, Celebrates 2025–2026 Student Leaders
Description: Otero College welcomed new Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society inductees on April 7, 2026, recognizing academic excellence, leadership, and community impact while honoring outgoing student leaders and announcing the 2026–2027 officer team...
The following students were officially inducted into Otero College's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society on April 7, 2026 at 4:30pm:
Lillian Morgan Klein.
Lillian is a certified phlebotomist, an active member of Otero College theater and dramatic arts, and a proud 4-H member. She was also the recipient of the Billy Remick Scholarship last year.
Laticia Sabinita Barron-Apodaca.
Laticia is working toward her Associate of Arts degree with a focus in Criminal Justice.
Isabella Mariely Hernandez.
Isabella will serve as a Vice President within PTK and competes on the Otero College women's volleyball team.
Khristin Nicole Vigil.
Khristin is a member of the Student Nurses Association and is working toward completing her Associate Degree in Nursing, with plans to continue on to her BSN.
Ramon Reynoso Calderon.
Ramon is a non-traditional student and serves as President of Otero's Non-Traditional Student Organization.
Ariadna Pastor Gustà.
Ariadna is a member of the Otero College women's basketball team and plans to transfer to a four-year university to continue her studies in Business and International Relations.
Sienna Quetzalli Smith.
Sienna will be serving as Recording Officer for PTK while continuing as a member of the women's volleyball team. She is also part of the President's Leadership Program and has been selected as next year's Chinook student editor.
Daisy Raychel Batson.
Jordan David Paul.
Jordan is a concurrent student at Otero College. He previously served as a two-time FFA Chapter Officer and earned multiple community service awards. He plans to transfer to Adams State University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Finance.
Danner Reed Carroll.
Danner is a concurrent student completing his junior year at Manzanola High School. He is a multi-sport athlete and a member of the National Honor Society. He plans to attend CSU Pueblo before continuing on to the Colorado School of Mines to pursue a degree in Computer Engineering.
Carlota Maria Ortega Garcia.
Carlota is a non-traditional student, a wife, and a mother of four. She is currently pursuing her Associate of Arts in Psychology and plans to transfer to CSU Pueblo, with long-term goals in neurodivergent studies and clinical counseling.
Adam Lee Rivera.
Adam is a member of the Non-Traditional Student Organization and a recipient of the Empower Scholarship. He is studying welding and will complete his first year at Otero College this May.
Collin J McKay.
Collin is a non-traditional student working toward an Associate of Arts with an emphasis in Business and plans to pursue accounting after graduation.
Leah Mae Gelt.
Leah is pursuing her Associate of Arts while competing on the Otero College women's volleyball team.
Codi Jaye Downare.
Codi is currently studying Agribusiness and will soon step into the role of PTK Chapter President. She plans to continue her education in Animal Science at Kansas State University and become a large animal veterinarian.
Ilyanna Elisa Barraza.
Ilyanna is a recipient of the Otero College Merit Scholarship and plans to graduate in May 2027. She has earned multiple scholarships, including the CSU Pueblo Destination Scholarship, the Southern Colorado Nursing Scholarship, and the Commitment to Colorado Award.
Joshua Lee Billison Washburn.
Joshua is currently a business student at Otero College. He completed the welding program while at La Junta Jr/Sr High School in 2025 and earned his OSHA certification. He is also the owner of Pristine Torque Detailing LLC, a business he built from the ground up while balancing school and work.
The following students were also recognized for their year of leadership as our chapter officers for 2025-2026:
Jennifer Gardner serves as the current President of Phi Theta Kappa at Otero College and is also a concurrent student, graduating this May from both Otero College and Swink High School.
Over the past year, Jennifer led the 2025 Honors in Action project, focused on agricultural education and addressing misconceptions about how our food is grown.
She has been awarded the prestigious Boettcher Scholarship and plans to attend the Colorado School of Mines to study biochemical engineering. Jennifer has also participated in three national 4-H conferences and will attend again this summer.
Boz Zavala has played an integral role in PTK this year, leading the annual College Project and helping implement professional development for faculty focused on positive psychology in the classroom.
In addition, Boz served as the 2026 editor of the Otero College Chinook publication. He will graduate this May and plans to continue his education in Industrial Engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines. Boz also earned 1 of 2 Phi Theta Kappa awards representing Otero College at the CCCS 13-College award ceremony.
Kate Pruyn has contributed significantly to both the Honors in Action and College Projects, while also helping plan the next undergraduate research initiative focused on supporting individuals in our school and community who have experienced unhealthy or abusive relationships.
Kate is a first-generation, legacy, and non-traditional student, completing a degree she originally began in 1999. She plans to graduate this May and continue on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Western Governors University.
She is also this year's Phi Theta Kappa Award recipient, representing Otero College at the CCCS 13-college award ceremony.
They past the torch of leadership to the 2026-2027 chapter officer team, President Codi Downare, VP of Leadership Isabella Hernandez, and Recording Officer Sienna Smith.
The induction ceremony also featured the 2025 honors in action project presentation: The Power of Stories in Agriculture, curated by Jennifer Gardner with assistance from Kate Pruyn.
"To join Phi Theta Kappa is an honor and a privilege. It is not easy for any students to obtain a high GPA, have leadership qualities, and be willing to provide their service to their community and school. Yet, these students have proven that amongst the anxieties of academic rigor, making friends, maintaining families, many of them engaging in numerous extra-curricular activities, sports, theatrical productions, and trying to have fun through it all, they still have time to be the rockstar academic leaders that they are. It is for those reasons that we are proud to instate their names to the history of our Chapter." - Caitlyn Ornelas, co-chapter advisor and psychology faculty
