Pinnacle Honor Society
Welcome Message from the Founder of Pinnacle Honor Society
- Frank Julian
Hello! Allow me to welcome you and your family to this virtual induction to Pinnacle, the Honor Society for Adult and Other Non-Traditional Students. When Kansas State University chose you for membership in Pinnacle, it was recognizing you for your academic performance as a non-traditional student, your participation in campus and community life, and the university's expectation that you will continue to out-perform your peers after graduation.
My name is Frank Julian. I have spent over 35 years as a professor, dean, and vice president at several institutions of higher education. At a national meeting more than twenty years ago, I discussed a frustration I had with fellow high-level administrators: I had difficulty at each institution, at which I worked, getting student-faculty committees to choose non-traditional students for membership in traditional campus honor societies. The honored students were predominantly greeks, student government members, campus journalists, etc. Everyone around the table agreed that the problem was shared on their campuses as well. It was at that moment that the idea for Pinnacle came into being. With the assistance of numerous colleagues, we created Pinnacle during my one and only sabbatical semester. In the ensuing years, almost entirely by word of mouth, Pinnacle has grown and grown. We now have chapters in almost every state, in large public universities, private universities, public regional universities, women's colleges, traditionally black colleges, even a college that only trains psychologists. Tens of thousands of non-traditional students have preceded you into the ranks of Pinnacle membership. All were excellent students who successfully faced the special challenges of being a non-traditional student in American higher education.
The significance of your induction today is simple: You are being recognized as one of your university's outstanding non-traditional students. You have earned this honor through your hard work and perseverance, and no one can ever take it away from you. You can proudly place your selection to Pinnacle on your resume. It tells the world that you exceeded the level of achievement of your peers. You are bright, industrious, and accomplished. Please accept our most sincere congratulations on your achievement and your selection for membership in the Pinnacle Honor Society. We are proud of you, Kansas State University is proud of you, and we are sure that your family and friends are especially proud of you.
Most Sincerely,
Frank H. Julian
Executive Director
Pinnacle
