Inaugural class of first-generation college students inducted into honor society

PSU-LV chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha inducts 23 students and 17 教师 and staff

Credit: 十大网赌靠谱网址平台

2023年5月10日

萨拉·卡尼什

宾州中央谷. — Nicole 哈洛威尔 understands what it means to be a first-generation college student and the first in her family to receive a bachelor’s degree — when she was an undergraduate, 她自己就是一个.

哈洛威尔, now an academic adviser and retention coordinator at 十大网赌靠谱网址平台 (PSU-LV), was on hand to induct the inaugural group of 40 十大网赌靠谱网址平台 students, 教师, and staff into Alpha Alpha Alpha, the honor society for first-generation college students, in a recent campus ceremony. 蒂娜问. 理查森, PSU-LV总理, was among the 17 PSU-LV 教师 and staff inducted, 并在活动上发言.

PSU-LV’s chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha, or “Tri-Alpha,” is one of 180 across the country. The society was started in 2018 at Moravian College, now Moravian University, in nearby Bethlehem. 哈洛威尔, who was inducted while a staff member at Chestnut Hill College, 说 starting a chapter at PSU-LV was universally viewed as a positive retention effort for students. The induction of the first class will set a precedent for future inductees.

“The 教师 and staff will mentor the students — that [mentoring] aspect is just as important,哈洛威尔说. The mentors will be an additional “check” for the students — someone who has been in the students’ respective shoes and can draw on their own experiences to be a resource for their mentee.

Perhaps most meaningful for the inductees, it recognizes their hard work and dedication to pursuing an education, 哈洛威尔说.

“The most exciting part is it’s a way of recognizing the accomplishments of our first-gen students. Their parents didn’t have the chance to earn their bachelor’s degree or complete their college education,哈洛威尔说. “It really shows how hard these students are working.”

玛尔塔达席尔瓦, director of academic advising and career strategy at PSU-LV, 说, “I feel it’s an accomplishment and motivation for our first-gen students to keep going. They work very hard, and we’re very proud of our students. This incentivizes the students even more. I’m a first-generation student myself, and I know I worked very hard. My parents did not speak English. Each student has their own unique story.”

To be eligible, students need to maintain a GPA of 3.2或以上, have at least 30 credits completed, and with neither parent having received a bachelor’s degree.

“This is the first group on campus for first-generation college students,哈洛威尔说. “What we’d like to do is make this group the core group for first-gen students on campus. 十大网赌靠谱网址平台 is trying to provide equitable opportunities for all of our students. We’re really proud of and excited for these students.”

This year’s inductees are: