Kingsport Reporter

A Northeast State Community College student earned a coveted place as a published author in the national literary journal of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.

Parker Black was named as one of 24 Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society members nationwide to have their writing published in the 28th edition of PTK’s literary journal, Nota Bene. Black was recognized for his story submission The Cliff, the Gates, and the Man with the Key.

“I’ve spent years typing away on a laptop the crazy ideas in my head,” says Black. “It’s fun to finally see someone else read it and say, ‘Hey, that kinda makes sense.’”

Nota Bene, Latin for “note well,” is Phi Theta Kappa’s honors anthology. It recognizes outstanding writing of PTK members and demonstrates to the literary public the academic excellence and commitment to scholarship found at colleges. The publication showcases the outstanding writing of community college students from PTK member chapters nationwide. More than 800 entries were submitted for the 28th edition competition. Black ranks as the first Northeast State student to have his work published in Nota Bene.

In the 2021-22 Echoes and Images student literary magazine contest, Black won the First-Place award in the Fiction category for the story. He is pursuing the university parallel associate degree path at Northeast State. Black was named to the President’s List for the Fall 2022 semester by earning a 4.0 grade point average in his classes.  He earned the Basler Incentive Endowed Scholarship from the Northeast State Foundation.

Black is a member of the College’s Alpha Iota Chi chapter of PTK. He received a 2022 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship last year through the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. The scholarship award provides a recipient with $1,000 toward his or her college tuition.

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.8 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 countries, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at www.ptk.org.

Black’s penchant for literature extends from essays to novels.  He has written several short stories and two novels.

“I would love to be a full-time author someday,” said Black. “I’m definitely a big believer in the only way to become a good writer is to write.”

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