Rio Hondo students who are in search of a club that will improve their college transcripts through academic progress and extracurricular activities need to look no further than Alpha Gamma Sigma, or AGS. The academic honor society and service organization of the California Community Colleges, AGS is an exclusive club for community college students as well as a nationally recognized organization. Students who’d like to have their academic excellence recognized; have multiple opportunities to participate in volunteer services on and off campus; gain valuable leadership experience; and compete for academic and service scholarships should find increased interest in AGS.
Their mission statement directly from the AGS website (agsriohondo.org) states enthusiastically: “The mission of this chapter and organization shall be to foster, promote, maintain, and recognize scholarship among students at Rio Hondo College; to develop programs offering cultural, social, and enrichment activities as part of the total college experience; to promote service to the college, the community, and the Sigma Phi Chapter; and to emphasize the development of leadership, character, and judgment.”
AGS is only open to a select few students who meet a specific criteria: only students who have completed twelve semester or 18 quarter units of college work in a maximum of two semesters or five quarters, and who have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00; or freshmen who are lifetime members of the California Scholarship Federation; or Freshmen who have a cumulative high school GPA of at lesast 3.50. There is also a one-time fee of twenty-dollars that pays for the future volunteer service activities that AGS offers.
Membership to AGS can be organized into four different categories: There is the Initial membership in which you must have completed 12 semester units of college work and have a 3.0 GPA. Temporary membership in which you must be a college freshmen with a 3.5 high school GPA or be a lifetime member of CSF. Continuing members must be in good standing with the club and maintain a 3.0 GPA or better. To apply for Permanent membership the student must have completed sixty semester units of college courses, with a minimum of thirty completed at Rio Hondo College; maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better on all colleges attended and have been an active member of AGS for at least one semester.
Those activities on-campus include a fundraiser at Wingstop, a Los Angeles food bank can drive, work at the Rio Fest, and many more. AGS also offers off-campus activities for students such as television tapings of shows like “2 Broke Girls” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” as well as at AGS State Conventions that offer exclusive views into the inner workings of the organization and more opportunities for scholarships.
AGS works hand-in-hand with various organizations like Heal the Bay, the UCLA Health System, and American Red Cross.
General meetings are held every Tuesday at one o’clock p.m. in room S136. Applications to join are available for download at the AGS website or at their club meetings; the deadline to submit applications is Feb. 22, at four o’clock p.m.