'It is never too late': Student speaker's story anchors PTK induction ceremony
M State’s Omicron Omicron chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) welcomed 96 new student members during its 2025-2026 induction ceremony on April 10 at the Moorhead campus. Fourteen inductees attended the ceremony in person, joined by faculty, staff and family members to celebrate their accomplishments and academic excellence.
PTK is the international honor society for two-year colleges, recognizing students who achieve and maintain a minimum 3.25 grade point average while completing coursework toward an associate degree or certificate. In addition to academic achievement, PTK emphasizes leadership, service and fellowship, offering members opportunities for research, leadership development, scholarships and academic recognition at state and national levels.
The induction ceremony featured remarks from several student and college leaders, including Asenath Huether, faculty advisor for the M State PTK chapter; President Carrie Brimhall, who served as keynote speaker; Sacha Boland, hallmark officer; Sarah Brandt, co–public relations officer; Tina Mosaei, a 2026 inductee; and Darlington Uzowuru, co–public relations officer, who delivered closing remarks.
At the center of the ceremony was a speech by Nicole Sorby, an active PTK member and recent All-Minnesota Academic Team nominee, whose personal story captures the spirit of PTK’s mission and the diverse paths students take to academic success.
Sorby spoke about her decision to return to college later in life, reflected on years spent caring for others, and shared the moment she chose to invest in herself:
“I have spent most of my life taking care of everyone else. I raised my kids on my own. I cared for my mom as she battled cancer and other health struggles. I became the guardian of my adult sister with special needs. And for the past 12 years, I’ve been leading a Girl Scout troop. My life has been about showing up for others.”
She described how her life shifted about 18 months ago, opening space for a long-postponed question.
“Everything changed. My mom passed away. My kids began stepping into their own lives. And for the first time, it felt like it might be my turn. My turn to ask: What do I want? Who do I want to become?”
In November 2024, at age 41, Sorby made the decision to return to school, a choice she said came with fear and self-doubt, but also determination.
“I won’t sugarcoat it—the doubts were loud. Am I too old? Can I really do this? How am I going to balance everything? Am I even smart enough? But I made a choice. Not to have all the answers, but to try anyway.”
Sorby credited her early coursework, including Lifespan Development with PTK advisor and professor Huether, with helping her reframe what returning to college meant.
“We studied the different stages of life, (and) I realized something important: I wasn’t starting over. I was stepping into a new phase.”
That class also introduced her to PTK, an opportunity she initially brushed off, thinking it was beyond her reach.
“I remember thinking, ‘That’s amazing, but that’s not for me.’ I didn’t see myself as that kind of student.”
But persistence paid off. After completing seven classes, Sorby received her PTK invitation in August 2025.
“I remember looking at it and thinking, ‘Wait… me?’ But I said yes.”
What began as a resumé line quickly became something more meaningful. Through monthly meetings, leadership involvement and participation in PTK events, Sorby found a sense of belonging she hadn’t expected, especially when she decided to attend PTK Catalyst, the organization’s national leadership convention.
“I had no idea what it really was, but I knew one thing: it scared me a little. And I’ve learned something about that feeling: sometimes the things that scare you the most are the things that grow you the most.”
The experience, she said, changed how she saw herself.
“The fears I carried with me—the fear of being too old, of not belonging, of being out of place—disappeared. Because not once did anyone make me feel like I didn’t belong. Instead, I felt welcomed. I felt seen. I felt valued.”
Since joining PTK, Sorby has continued to say yes to new opportunities, including being invited to the All-Minnesota Academic Team luncheon—an honor recognizing the state’s highest-achieving community and technical college students. As the ceremony concluded, Sorby left inductees with a message that echoed the purpose of the evening and the mission of PTK itself.
“It’s never too late to become the person you were meant to be… It is never too late. Not to start. Not to try. Not to believe in yourself. And not to choose you.”
For more information about M State’s PTK chapter, visit minnesota.edu/student-organizations.
