When Veronica Baus stepped onto the K-State campus as a freshman three years ago, she knew right away she wanted to be a member of the Mortar Board. Three years later, she is serving as president of the national college senior honorary society and has some big shoes to fill.

K-State's 2008-09 chapter of Mortar Board has been recognized as one of the best of 227 chapters in the nation.

The chapter received the Golden Torch Award, presented to outstanding Mortar Board chapters that exceed minimum standards during the school year, said Candi Hironaka, senior faculty adviser to Mortar Board and senior associate director of the School of Leadership Studies.

Bobby Gomez, senior in elementary education and 2008-09 Mortar Board president, said each member of last year's group worked hard to earn the awards. He said one of the group's most successful service projects was the First Book program — in which members raised more than $3,000 in three weeks to buy books for children in local schools.

"When you come home with these awards, it's exciting ... you hope it inspires next chapters," Gomez said.

K-State was one of only 32 chapters to receive the honor, which is based on a commitment to scholarship, leadership and service. This is the sixth time in the last seven years that K-State has received the award. Hironaka said the close-knit friendships in K-State's Mortar Board is what sets them apart from other groups.

"It's so much fun as an adviser to see how they connected as a group," she said. "They worked hard on service projects, but also had so much fun together."

It's that same sense of community that attracted Baus, senior in marketing, when she was a freshman. "I know now from a Mortar Board perspective that it is a very tight-knit group," she said. "It's like a second family."

Baus said the Mortar Board takes several retreats throughout the year, which help the group bond and align their goals.

"We all want to be there, but like in any leadership role, it takes a lot of different personalities to make it work," Baus said. "We're not trying to reinvent the wheel — just make it better."

There are 27 members in K-State's Mortar Board chapter, eight who are returning fifth-year seniors, including Gomez. He said he plans on taking a more hands-off approach to give new leaders a chance to step up. Baus said returning members can offer perspective and guidance throughout the new year, along with advisers.

She also said the Mortar Board advisors help foster community within the group, and the students have solid relationships with their leaders.

Hironaka said she is thankful to be a part of the organization, as a faculty adviser.

"Advisers are just that," Hironaka said. "These students are so competent they take things and just go with it."

- Mortar Board is a senior honor society. Membership is based on GPA and record of leadership and service. For more information on the group or how to apply for membership, visit its Web site at k-state.edu/mortarboard.