Twenty Mount Saint Mary College students were recently inducted into the inaugural class of the Alpha Alpha Alpha Honor Society (Tri-Alpha), which honors students who are the first in their family to attend college.
The Mount was recently awarded the Kappa Zeta Chapter of Tri-Alpha, the national honor society for first-generation students. The advisors for this society are Brianne Thompson, director of Student Advising, and Jenifer Lee-Gonyea, assistant vice president for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well as Chief Diversity Officer.
“Tri-Alpha was an important addition to the honor society landscape of the Mount because it acknowledges the hard work, dedication, and academic success of our first-generation college students,” Lee-Gonyea noted. “That is a unique and special place to hold, and it is very worthy of this recognition. As a first-generation college student, I remember the joy and pride that my parents and extended family had for me and with me as I completed my undergraduate degree. To be able to be part of recognizing these students and to pay it forward in this way is such an honor.”
Co-advisor Thompson echoed her statement: “I am so honored to be able to serve as one of the advisors for the Alpha Alpha Alpha Honor Society,” she said. “To have assisted in starting the Mount’s chapter of the Tri-Alpha Honor Society means so much to me because this honor society signifies so much more than just academic excellence. Tri-Alpha inductees are trailblazers that are paving the way for future generations of their families; in this way, they are serving as beacons of hope. It is truly such a privilege to be able to celebrate and support these students in their achievement.”
The new members of Tri-Alpha are: Blanca Ayala-Santana of Port Jervis, N.Y.; Raven Brake of West Point, N.Y.; Katerina Calderone of Marlboro, N.Y.; Akasha Cervantes of Marlboro, N.Y.; Joanna Chimbo of Hopewell Junction, N.Y.; Riona Creavy of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Genesis De Leon Portillo of Kingston, N.Y.; Leslie Gonzalez-Garcia of Newburgh, N.Y.; Nicole Kreischer of Washingtonville, N.Y.; Brillyd Lopez-Vidal of Newburgh, N.Y.; Ines Matias of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Abigail McPhillips of Newburgh, N.Y.; Alina Mendelowski of Walden, N.Y.; Madelin Moran Lemus of South Fallsburg, N.Y.; Grace Morra of Hopewell Junction, N.Y.; Riley Norwood of East Haven, Conn.; and Grace O’Sullivan of Nanuet, N.Y.; Raina Quinones of West Babylon, N.Y.; Riley Senk of Staten Island, N.Y.; and Samantha Soehnlein of Washingtonville, N.Y.