During Knox College’s Commencement 2025 weekend, 53 students were inducted into various honor societies. Of those, 30 were honored with a special ceremony for joining Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society.

“I feel like I’m right where I should be. I feel like my time at Knox has been great and I’m ready to move on to whatever is next,” Jean Lux Patton, a classical languages major who not only joined Phi Beta Kappa, but was also inducted into Eta Sigma Phi. “This honestly came as a surprise to me. I’m honored and appreciate that Knox is involved in this.”

The Phi Beta Kappa induction on June 7 was the 108th annual induction ceremony at Knox with Associate Professor of Political Science and President of the Knox Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Katie Stewart and Associate Professor of Classics Mitchell Parks leading the initiation.

“Election to Phi Beta Kappa honors a high level of achievement attained by our initiates in pursuit of a liberal education,” Stewart said.

Provost and Dean of the College, Michael Schneider also spoke, speaking of the history of Phi Beta Kappa, and Associate Professor of Physics Nathalie C. Haurberg was chosen as this year’s alumni nominee for Phi Beta Kappa.

Out of more than 3,000 colleges and universities in the U.S., fewer than 300 have chapters. Knox's first Phi Beta Kappa induction was in 1917. As part of the ceremony, the newly inducted members signed a small, leather-bound book.

Knox College’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter was the first at a four-year liberal arts college in the state and is the fourth-oldest in Illinois.

Here is the full list of the 2025 Honor Society inductees:

Honor Societies

Phi Beta Kappa (all newly elected)

Advisor: Katie Stewart / Mitchell Parks

Brooke Bellmar

Megan Claire Bogner

Devan Rose Boone

Jed Howard Bothe

Astrid Isobel Perkins Brunk

Madison L. Byrket

Selah Grace Dow

Chieko Robin Ogiwara Dunham

Athko Vivia Ehrstein

Gennosuke Kuninaka

Jasmine Jane Lerner

Anissa Joeli Mendez

Marli Ann Messner

Danielle Miron

Anokhi Chitrini Molligoda

Erin Maria Mulcahey

Jean Lux Patton

Julia Beverly Porter

Eli M. Quint

Arunodaya Rajbhandari

Cameron Broady Rivera

Teagan Elizabeth Springer

Alyssa Nicole Stringer

Annika Jorgen Vagle

Jonathan Franklin Walker-Moses

Nola Zoe Walston

Lillian Margaret Wang

Class of 2026 Initiates

Avery Celia Leigh

Olivia Clark Dunn

Lance Jacob Miller

Alumni Initiate

Nathalie C. Hauberg

Class of 2025 Members previously initiated

Brandon Roberts

Hannah L. Tannas

Eta Sigma Phi

Advisor: Hilary Lehmann/Mitchel Parks

Megan Claire Bogner

Skylar Aileen Koepke

Jean Lux Patton

Hannah Tannas

Ella Faith Anderson

Nu Rho Psi – National Honors Society in Neuroscience

Advisor: Heather Hoffmann

Zuzanna Wrobel

Selene Chew

Maddie Goss

Storm Janosky

Christopher Quick

Pi Sigma Alpha – National Political Science Honor Society (graduating seniors)

Advisor: Katie Stewart / Duane Oldfield

Brianna Virgi Arizmendi

Agnes Azalimah

Harini Gunasekaran

Cameron Rivera

Areesha Saif

Jenna Schweikert

Sigma Xi

Finnegan Hautau

Franny Hilliard

Alex Reisinger

Kiely Thompson

Ava Vaccarella

Siena Adwere-Boamah

Precious Odejeni