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154 Students Initiated into Tri-Alpha First-Generation Honor Society

Mar 11, 2024

Salem State University has initiated 154 students (sophomore – graduate) into the national first-generation honor society, Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha). 

Founded in 2018 at Moravian University in Pennsylvania, Tri-Alpha currently hosts over 175 chapters across the country, recognizing the academic achievements of college students who are among the first in their family to attend college. College students are considered first-generation if neither parent has achieved a four-year bachelor’s degree in the United States. During the ceremony, initiates were presented with a membership pin, certificate, and cords to wear at commencement.

The Epsilon Rho chapter of Tri-Alpha was established at Salem State University in 2022 to draw attention to, and honor, the remarkable success of first-generation undergraduate and graduate students who have achieved distinction in their academic efforts. President John Keenan spoke at the ceremonies, highlighting the university’s pride in all the students have accomplished. He touched upon how we are stronger as a community, with hundreds of first-generation students, faculty, and staff on the campus, when we come together, share our experiences, support one another, and celebrate our successes.

In addition, co-advisor Professor Elizabeth Duclos-Orsello (Interdisciplinary Studies) welcomed faculty, staff, and librarians into the society who were first-generation at the time they received their undergraduate degrees: Christopher Collins (Social Work), Christopher Macdonald-Dennis (Inclusive Excellence), and Rosa Di Virgilio Taormina (Small Business Development Center).

While being initiated, members pledged to “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 set foot on a college campus, as the first in their family or circle of friends.”

To learn more on how you can get involved with Tri-Alpha, email firstgen@salemstate.edu.

2024 Initiates

Saheed Adewunmi, Psychology-BS

Isabella Alcaraz, Business Administration, Sport & Movement Science

Anna-Marie Alukonis, Healthcare Studies

Nicholas Alves, Education

Mary Antwiwaah, Nursing

Lamar J. Auguste, Biology-BS

Jennifer Aziabah, Nursing

Christine Bairos, Nursing

Paola L Bakwatwena, Healthcare Studies

Tara C. Barlett, Business Administration

Jary Melisa Barrios, Social Work

Fatoumata Barrow, Computer Science

Nicole Ann Bassett, Social Work

Veronica Bento, Nursing

Kami Boland, Geography

Joseph Fournier Bolcome, History

Lauren Elizabeth Bongiovanni, Biology-BS

Breyanna Bragan, Psychology-BS

Richard Brito, Criminal Justice

Patrick T. Broschk, Art

Rebecca Rose Callahan, Nursing

Denis Campbell, Combined BS Psych-MS Behavior Analysis

Jerelys Canales, Nursing

Caroline Canty, Art

Joseph Cautela III, Higher Educ Student Affairs

Molly Ann Chipman, Early Childhood Ed (M.Ed.)

Luis Alessandro Clara Vargas, Healthcare Studies

Robyn Collins, Social Work

Hannah Marie Connelly, Nursing

Brandalyn Leigh Copeland, Healthcare Studies

Stephanie Anne Creamer, Social Work

Tatiana Cubias, Criminal Justice

Erin Curristin, Business Administration

Daniella Dankwa, Nursing

Lara Dantas, Psychology-BS

Christopher DaSilva, Criminal Justice

Charity Davis, Nursing

Theresa D'Entremont, English (MAT)

Mackenzie DeSantis, Political Science-BS

Peter DiPlacido, Business Administration

Samantha Lee Doyle-Day, Psychology-BS

Lucknisha Dupervil, Criminal Justice

Amya M. Enlow, Political Science-BS

Alison Marie Famico, Counseling (MS)

Samuel Feliciano, Psychology-BS

Maria Christina Fernandez, Social Work

Rosemary Fiori, Social Work

Jon Freeth, Business Administration

Valerie J. Galvao, Social Work

Elizabeth Galvin , Nursing

Sofija Gavrilova, Business Administration

Ana Gjoni, Business Admin

Larissa Goncalves, Media & Communication

Alisea Gonzalez, Business Administration

Yaneidy Gonzalez, Biology-BS

Sabrina L. Gosse, Education

Ally Gracia, Criminal Justice

Elaine M. Gray, Early Childhood Ed (M.Ed.)

Kaycie Mullane Groom, Counseling (MS)

Abby Gudzunas, Criminal Justice, Geological Sciences

Alicia Silva Guimaraes, Healthcare Studies and Spanish

Kendra M. Hart, Social Work

Haley E. Hastings, Counseling (MS)

Juan Carlos Holguin Canela, Psychology-BS

Kaia Hollingsworth, Biology-BS

Ellianna Krisoula Hoxha, Psychology-BS

Elden Hubisz, Cartography & Geo Info Systems

Audrey Rose Hussey, Psychology-BS

Kassandra Jackson, Early Childhood Ed (M.Ed.)

Jonathan Jalbert, Business Administration

Stephanie Jean, Business Administration

Amanda N. Juma, Psychology-BS

Alina Jurgajtis, Criminal Justice

Grace Larrabee, Art

Angel Lawrence, Psychology-BS

Alexandria Lim, Nursing

Nicole Marie Lincoln, Education

Jenna Lindinger, Psychology-BS

Enrique Adan Lopez Lopez, Computer Science

Abrianna Marie Madden, Music-BA

Tabasum Mahboub, Social Work

Niyauna Martin, Counseling (MS)

Cristina A. Martinez, Social Work

Abigail Matherson, Business Administration

Kylie Michala Mazza, Early Childhood Ed (M.Ed.)

Ijeoma McAnthony, Social Work

Ashley McGonagle, Nursing

Kaley McLean, Business Administration

Gabriella Meehan, Social Work

Isabella Mellone, Education - Elem Combined

Jessinia Lee Molinari, English

Danaira Moradel, Business Administration

Thomas Mosychuk, Jr., Information Technology

Marissa DeSisto , Special Education (M. Ed)

Julia Murray, Criminal Justice

Florence N. Muthini, Business Admin

Susan N. Nganga, Nursing

Christine Nguyen, Media & Communication

Diane N. Nkere, Nursing

Moriah Grace Norris, Psychology-BS

Amanda Rodrigues Nunes, Criminal Justice

Sintia Nuñez, Nursing

Arianna Nuvoli, Media & Communication

Christina O'Brien, Counseling (MS)

Melannie Orellana, Counseling (MS)

Amanda Ovalles, Nursing

Pathmavigi Pathmanathan, Business Admin

Alondra Pena, Nursing

Kimcheng Peng, Business Administration

Lexy Penney, Social Work

Anaisa Kayla Pennick Velez, Psychology-BA, Sociology-BS

Jessica L. Pepe, History

Kali Picariello, Social Work

Felicia Altagracia Pichardo, Social Work

Holly Pinkham, Psychology-BS

Jean Max Plaisir, Criminal Justice

Noelle M. Proia, Social Work

Sophia Ramos, Criminal Justice, World Languages and Cultures

RJ Riley-Jalbert, Chemistry-BS, Geological Sciences

Patricia Habigail Rivas Portillo, Nursing

Giomaris Isueth Rivera, Education

Nadmi Rivera, Social Work

Jose Alfredo Rodriguez, Media & Communication

Karissa Rogato, Education

Alessandra Giuseppina Sabella, Nursing

Leonairys Santana, World Languages and Cultures

Kamilla Santos, Edu Early Child Combined BS-MED

Chrisell J. Sarit, Counseling (MS)

Samantha Renee Saunders, Counseling (MS)

Hannah Schmider, Edu Early Chid Combined BS-MED

Kyle Scibetta, Sport & Movement Science, Teacher Education

Melissa Sierra-Gomez, Nursing

Sukhdev Singh, Criminal Justice

Erik Oliveira Sobrinho, World Languages and Cultures

Aline Correia Souza, Social Work

Julia Marie Sparkes, Nursing

Justin Robert Stanley, Business Administration

Piseth Sun, Information Technology

Jennifer Ashley Talbot, Elementary Education (M. Ed)

Brigid Waithira Thome, Biology-BS

Kenneth Scott Thornton, Nursing

Rebecca L. Thorpe, Education

Jeimy Torres Alvarado, Nursing

Catherine Tunney, English (MA)

Edson Uvalle, Healthcare Studies and Spanish

Sabrina Marie Vieira, Social Work

Jessica Vittorini, Healthcare Studies

Ajhana Dianna Walls, Business Administration

Daniel Westhaver, Business Administration

Pamela Whynot , Social Work

Kendra M. Wight, Psychology-BS

Ermeline Winner, Nursing

Josefine Wolf, Business Administration

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