First-Gen Students Honored at Inaugural Tri-Alpha Induction
The University has established a new chapter of an honor society for first-generation college students: Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha). The inaugural group of 56 WCU inductees will be honored on Wednesday, Feb. 3, with a Zoom virtual ceremony.
First-generation college students are the first in their families to go to college. Neither of the student’s parents, nor step-parents, nor legal guardians, completed a bachelor’s degree.
Students qualify for induction into Tri-Alpha by earning at least 30 credit hours toward a baccalaureate degree and achieving an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2. First-generation graduate students must have completed the equivalent of at least one term (9 or more graduate credits) and have a GPA in their graduate program of at least 3.5.
Of nearly 170 eligible WCU students, 56 completed the application form for this inaugural cohort.
According to Tri-Alpha’s national website, those who accept membership “recognize your responsibility to your family and to future generations of firsts, to finish what you started, to be their compass leading them to their destination when the way seems uncertain, to be their light in darkness, and to support others in their own journeys of ‘firsts.’ … You accept the obligation of thanking those who paved the way before you, and who made this journey possible for you. … You accept the responsibility of helping others as you have been helped, or as you perhaps wish you had been helped, to serve as mentors and guides for the next group of students to step foot on a college campus as the first in their family or circle of friends.”
A second induction ceremony will take place during Family Weekend in September.
WCU’s undergraduate inaugural inductees, their majors, and hometowns are:
Trevor Banks, Exercise Science, Pre-PT Concentration, York
Kara Bethas, Accounting, Spring Grove, PA
Zoe Campanella, Psychology, music minor, Philadelphia
Mitzi Colin Lopez, Political Science, Coatesville
Faith Crawford, Psychology, Coatesville
Tiana Douglas-Brown, Psychology, Philadelphia
Rebecca L Eck-Olsen, Marketing and Business Management, Trondheim, Norway
Nebiyou Elias, Actuarial Science and Statistics, King of Prussia
Lauren Fitting, English Literature, Devon
Ioanna Gerasimidis, Biology, microbiology concentration, Upper Darby
Nicole Haslett, English Writing, Bensalem
Kelly Heyduk, Early Grades Preparation, Levittown, PA
Kaitlyn Juhasz, Marketing and Finance, Lake Ariel, PA
Madison Justice, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Cape May
Victoria Knowles, History/Social Studies Teaching Certification, Media, PA
Shelby Kreglow, Psychology, Slatington, PA
Andrew Lavin, Political Science, Downingtown
Madison Maine, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Minors: Deaf Studies and Early
Intervention, Freehold, NJ
Lena Morella, Anthropology, Stroudsburg, PA
Alexis Moyer, Middle Grades and Special Education, Boyertown
Lauren Myers, Psychology
Benjamin Naroden, Communication Studies, Hillsborough, PA
Morgan Peyton, Early Grades Preparation PreK-4, Montgomeryville, PA
Olivia Quinones, Theater, Minors: psychology and music production, Allentown
Kelsey Schwalm, Marketing, Hegins, PA
Jasmine Seals, Early Grades, Trenton, NJ
Hannah Stevens, Music Therapy, Minors: music history and psychology, Hatfield, PA
Ashleigh Stokes, Pre-Physical Therapy, Warrington, PA
Keerston Underkoffler, Exercise Science Pre-occupational therapy concentration, Elizabethtown
Brianna Wagner, Early Grades Preparation PreK-4, Coatesville
Nicole Walker, Social Work, Downingtown
Macy Wright, Early Grades Preparation, PK-4 Accel, Elverson
WCU’s graduate inaugural inductees are pursuing master’s degrees unless otherwise
indicated:
Michole-Chanee Allen, Social Work, Chester, PA
Tamerra Bailey, Doctor of Public Administration, Bronx, NY
Melissa DelColombo, Speech Language Pathology, Philadelphia
Heather Doyle, Public Health-Health Care Management, Harrisburg, PA
Alexandria Evans, Public Health-Community Health, Drexel Hill, PA
Hector Febo, Public Administration, Mount Pocono, PA
Sarah Foster, Doctor of Public Administration, Ruston, LA
Michelle Gherardi, Doctor of Public Administration, Lancaster, PA
Grace Grant, Speech Language Pathology, Drexel Hill
Kerrie Green, Social Work, Philadelphia
Amber Howard, Social Work
Gamine Howe, Social Work, Philadelphia
Amanda Kennedy, Doctor of Public Administration, New Braunfels, Texas
Ho Lee, Community Nutrition, Dongducheon, South Korea
Bridget Marley, Public Health-Community Health, Havertown, PA
Jacqueline Maxwell, TESOL, Exton
Joseph Michetti, Counselor Education: School Counseling, Eagleville
Rhonda Parham, Public Administration, Philadelphia
Cynthia Prempeh, Public Health, Ghana
Mariama Quist, Higher Education Policy and Student Affairs, Philadelphia
Nikki Ross, Public Health-Health Care Management, Bridgeport, PA
Melissa Rowedder, Human Resource Management, Horsham, PA
Ryan Wasser, Philosophy, Allentown, PA
Lindsay Zavislak, Doctor of Clinical Psychology, Philadelphia
Tri-Alpha was founded March 24, 2018, at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA. The honor society exists as a not-for-profit (501(c)3) organization.