MUHLENBERG

Student inducted

to honor society

Francois D’Elia, of Orefield, was one of 19 students inducted into Tri-Alpha, an honor society for first-generation college students, April 22, 2022 in the Seeger Union Event Space at Muhlenberg College.

To be eligible for the Tri-Alpha Honor Society, students must have completed at least three full-time terms, earned an overall GPA of 3.2 and come from a family where neither parent nor any legal guardians earned a bachelor’s degree.

Alpha Alpha Alpha was founded in 2018 at Moravian College, an initiative of Associate Provost Carol Traupman-Carr.

Muhlenberg is the Delta, or fourth, chapter of Tri-Alpha in the country.

Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology Gretchen Hanson Gotthard, interim director of the first-generation advocacy and support program, welcomed the newest Tri-Alpha members and their families to the celebration.

As a first-generation student herself, Gotthard spoke about the impact these students have and will continue to have on their communities-their families, neighborhoods, hometowns, the college and the wider world.

Speaker Brooke Vick, associate provost for faculty & diversity initiatives, said, “I’m so proud of you, and you should be very proud of yourselves. It’s my privilege to see the paths you will create here and beyond. You are a community of pathfinders.”

Students interested in learning more about the first-generation advocacy and support program and Tri-Alpha may contact Professor Gotthard at gretchengotthard@muhlenberg.edu.