In an inaugural ceremony on April 29, 2022, Franklin College inducted 24 undergraduate students and one graduate student into Alpha Alpha Alpha, or Tri-Alpha, a national honor society which recognizes the achievements of first-generation college students.

Tri-Alpha provides first-generation college students with opportunities for growth, leadership development, and community service. It was founded on March 24, 2018, at Moravian University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Over 100 members of the chapter were initiated that day. Following the successful induction, Moravian took steps to incorporate Tri-Alpha so that chapters could be started on other campuses across the country.

Franklin College’s Epsilon Delta Chapter is the 124^th chapter to be installed within Tri-Alpha, and is the fifth chapter in Indiana. To qualify for induction into Tri-Alpha, students’ parents, step-parents or legal guardians must not have completed a bachelor’s degree, insuring they meet the definition of a first-generation student. They must also meet the following criteria:

• Undergraduate students must have earned at least 30 credit hours toward a baccalaureate degree and achieved an overall GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale.
• Graduate students must have completed the equivalent of at least one term of study and have a GPA of at least 3.5 in their program.

Franklin College’s induction ceremony began with a welcome by Maegan Pollonais, D.A., director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and the individual credited with bringing Tri-Alpha to the Franklin College campus. Kristin Flora, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, provided the keynote address. The inductees each received a certificate and a pin to commemorate their lifetime membership. Seniors also received honor cords to wear to commencement.

Pollonais was inspired to bring Tri-Alpha to the Franklin College campus after meeting the founder of the honor society at a Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) conference last November.

“I think recognizing our first-generation students is so important,” said Pollonais. “We have so many first-generation students of differing backgrounds, so I thought it was a great way to bring many people together.”

Students inducted into the Epsilon Delta Chapter of Tri-Alpha include:

Britany App, a junior, from Montezuma.

Collin Barton, a junior, from Greenwood.

Casey Cangany, a junior, from Trafalgar.

Shelby Crockett, a sophomore, from Pittsboro.

Olivia Eaker, a senior, from Indianapolis.

Anissa Edwards, a senior, from Columbus.

Tabatha Fitzgerald, a junior, from Indianapolis.

Amy Garrido Portillo, a freshman, from Greenwood.

Alona Gilpin, a sophomore, from Greenwood.

Jacob Glover, a sophomore, from Mooresville.

Alyssa Harmon, a senior, from Franklin.

Ashlyn Hill, a sophomore, from Bedford.

Evan Hosea, a senior, from New Castle.

Kaitlyn Kendrick, a graduate student, from Indianapolis. Kendrick is also a 2021 graduate of Franklin College.

Adriana Lomeli, a junior, from Greenwood.

Kiara McGuyre, a freshman, from Clayton.

Carly Morris, a senior, from Salem.

Grace Otte, a senior, from Seymour.

Irais Ramirez Torres, a junior, from Indianapolis.

Shea Reynolds, a junior, from Austin.

Kara Simon, a senior, from South Bend.

Brooke Stephens, a freshman, from Columbus.

Makiah Thomas, a senior, from Indianapolis.

Grace Vicars, a senior, from Dana.

Devin Wilham, a junior, from Franklin.

For more information, contact Franklin College’s Office of Communications at (317) 738-8185.

By: Sara Brown ’23, Contributing Writer

POSTED Jun 6, 2022