Honors Student Association
The Honors Student Association (HSA) provides its members with social and service opportunities aimed toward building its members' characters and fostering a commitment to lifelong learning. Paralleling the goals of West Chester University's Honors College, HSA prepares students to become forces for positive change in both the campus and broader community with focus on leadership, academia, and service.
Thanks to all of the HSA members who completed a combined 5868.2 hours of community service this past year!
In recognition, HSA received the Community Service Leadership Award for 2020-2021, as well as Student Organization of the year Award for 2018-2019.
Meetings are regularly held on Thursdays at 7:30 PM meeting in SECC108, with doors opening at 7:15 for food!
The Honors College largest philanthropic event is the P.E.A.C.E Carnival. P.E.A.C.E stands for Philanthropy Education and Community Engagement.
Community Service
Throughout the year, HSA offers its members a plethora of opportunities to volunteer on campus, in the local West Chester community, and in surrounding areas. Community service stands at the forefront of HSA values because members believe focusing time and attention on someone else's needs sets a foundation for leadership ability and reflects quality of character. As Dr. Dorothy Height, a great civil and women's rights activist once said, "without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop." HSA members facilitate and participate in regular Adopt-a-Spot trash pick-ups, entertainment, and card-making for citizens in local senior centers, the yearly P.E.A.C.E. carnival, Relay for Life, blanket-making for Project Linus, dog-toy-making for the Brandywine Valley SPCA, stream cleanups with the Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association, Hanging of the Greens in downtown West Chester, and more.
Academia
While service and leadership inspire much of the direction of HSA, the organization also holds on to a passion for celebrating and promoting academia. HSA organizes events such as the Outstanding Faculty Reception, which recognizes faculty members who students have identified as providing excellence in the classroom. Additionally, HSA has worked to form student-to-faculty research partnerships, most recently resulting in the publication of a project contributed to by HSA's Erin Yentz related to the Literacy and Cultural Heritage Map of Pennsylvania. HSA also hosts the Peer Leadership Program, which pairs first-year Honors College students with a mentor student in a similar major to support their transition into college.
Leadership
HSA provides students with opportunities to put leadership into practice. In addition to holding formal leadership positions as executive officers and committee coordinators, members can work within committees to organize social events, service efforts, fundraisers, collaborations with campus organizations and departments, and more. Through student-planned programming and weekly meetings, HSA allows members to enrich their creativity, delegation, communication, and team building. HSA programming directly aims to develop more engaged, active leaders and citizens.
Executive Board
President
Julie Stinson
Major: Business Management
Minor: Dance Performance, Digital Marketing
Class of 2025
First Vice President
Jonathan Booz
Major: Special Education
Class of 2025
Second Vice President
Bella Nimmerichter
Major: Criminal Justice
Minor: Civic and Professional Leadership, Law Politics & Society
Class of 2025
Treasurer
Connor Dapp
Major: History
Minor: Civic and Professional Leadership
Class of 2026
Secretary
Makenna Marr
Major: Nutrition BS: Dietetics
Class of 2026
Coordinators (Extended Exec.)
Alumni Coordinator
Imogen Cooper
Major: Cell and Molecular Biology
Class of 2026
Communications Coordinator
Gabby Sasso
Major: Public Health
Minor: Civic and Professional Leadership
Class of 2026
Community Service Coordinator
Isabelle Hill
Major: Early Grades Preparation
Minor: PreK-8 Mathmatics, Civic and Professional Leadership
Class of 2026
Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator
Luwam Teklegiogis
Major: Public Health
Class of 2026
Interfaith Coordinator
Gabi Steffy
Major: Cell and Molecular Biology
Minor: Applied Ethics, Civic and Professional Leadership
Class of 2026
P.E.A.C.E. Coordinator
Jess Mitchell
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Minor: Supply Chain Management
Class of 2024
Recruitment Coordinator
Keilah Hanley
Major: Political Science
Minor: Applied Community and Environmental Sustainability
Class of 2025
Assistant Recruitment Coordinator
Rachel Jason
Major: Early Grades Preparation
Minor: Journalism
Class of 2026
Social Coordinator
Olivia Heim
Major: Special Education
Minor: Spanish
Class of 2026
Sustainability & Wellness
Jayden Hartlaub
Major: Psychology
Minor: Communication studies, Nutrition
Class of 2026
PLP Co-Director
Jessie Aniloff
Major: Early Grades Prep PreK-4
Minor: Mathematics PreK-8, Civic & Professional Leadership
Class of 2024
PLP Co-Director
Lauren Kozicki
Major: Microbiology
Minor: Civic and Professional Leadership
Class of 2024
PLP Assistant Director
Danielle Cabibbo
Major: Middle Grades Preparation
Minor: Mathematics Pk-8, Civic and Professional Leadership
Class of 2026
PLP Assistant Director
KC Thoman
Major: English Secondary Education
Minor: Communications and Ethnic Studies
Class of 2026