Five area students were recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

These students were: Joshua Hamilton of Wesson, at Delta State University; Holly Harrison of Hazlehurst, at Mississippi State University; Alexis Hartley of Hazlehurst, at Delta State; Joseph Willis of McComb, at Mississippi State; and Laney Etheridge of McComb, at The University of Mississippi.

These honorees are among approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into PKP each year. Membership is by invitation only, and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as well as faculty, staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897, and today has more than 325 campuses in the United States, U.S. territories and the Philippines. Its mission is “to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”

For more information visit www.phikappaphi.org.