“Go big or go home” is the motto Liam Blakeway, Lone Star College-CyFair student, embodied as he started his campaign to be the next Phi Theta Kappa International President.

“When I attended the 2022 PTK Catalyst Convention in Denver and saw semifinalists competing for their positions, I realized I could do the same,” said Blakeway. “I intended to run for a regional office first, but my PTK advisor and the district advisor encouraged me to go for the presidency.”

Blakeway started his campaign in January 2023 and became a semifinalist with four other candidates in March. At the PTK Catalyst Convention in April, PTK selected him to be the 2023-2024 International President. Blakeway is the second LSC student to receive this prestigious position and the third to hold a PTK international position in the college’s 50-year history.

“It is a surreal feeling knowing that I am the International President for PTK,” he said. “I enjoy traveling to other regions to share my story and to be the voice for those who feel unseen or unheard. This role is life changing.”

Blakeway oversees 1,300 chapters in 11 countries and sits on PTK’s Board of Directors. He works with PTK headquarters and Lynn Tincher-Ladner, Ph.D., CEO, to help develop a five-year strategic plan that advocates for policy changes to strengthen financial aid systems, meet students’ needs and expand partnerships for career, employer and transfer opportunities.

“Liam has accomplished something huge, and his PTK international presidency shines a hopeful light of success on Lone Star College,” said Leslie Jewkes, LSC-CyFair English professor and Beta Lambda Mu PTK Chapter advisor.

Blakeway and his husband, Mark, moved from South Africa to the United States in December 2020. He enrolled in LSC-CyFair in January 2021 as an international student on an F-1 Visa. Shortly after, Blakeway was invited to join the Beta Lambda Mu PTK Chapter. That offer was a game changer as he gained friends and a sense of belonging.

“As an unconventional student, part of the LGBTQ+ community and a foreigner, I was able to blend into my surroundings by wearing a mask and hat due to the pandemic,” said Blakeway. “However, when the mask mandates dropped and I peeled back the layers, I battled to find where I belonged. Through PTK, I found my place within the college.”

At LSC-CyFair, Blakeway served as the vice president of scholarship and president of the Beta Lambda Mu PTK Chapter. He also joined the LSC Honors College and presented his research paper on Gilgamesh at the Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Consortium and the International Education Biennial. Blakeway also participated twice in the Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge, where he worked on projects with students from Jordan.

Blakeway graduated from LSC-CyFair in spring 2023 with an associate of science degree but continues his studies at LSC to retain his PTK international presidency. He will use his passion for engaging with others and public speaking to become an educator. Blakeway currently works as the compensation and benefits coordinator at LSC-System Office.