Photo: First-generation student and Tri-Alpha Honor Society member Julie Lian with her nieces

 

Davenport University’s Tri-Alpha First-Generation Honor Society welcomed 175 new members on April 9 with an open house at the W.A. Lettinga Grand Rapids Campus to honor them for their commitment to academic excellence.

The honor society recognizes the academic accomplishments of first-generation students and identifies them as a person of superior academic ability and commitment to employers and graduate schools. It also provides members the opportunity to meet other first-generation scholars from all Davenport campuses and all academic disciplines.

To be considered for inclusion in the Tri-Alpha Honor Society, a student must come from a family where neither parent has completed a bachelor’s degree. They also must have completed at least three full-time terms of study (a minimum of thirty credit hours) at Davenport. Additionally, undergraduate students must achieve an overall GPA of at least 3.2, while graduate students must achieve an overall GPA in their graduate program of at least 3.5. 

The event, held at Davenport’s Center for Learning and Engagement, gave the Tri-Alpha inductees an opportunity to meet and network with other members after they were presented with their honor cords and certificates.

It means a lot to Jodi Hicks, director of student transitions and academic readiness, to honor Davenport’s first-gen students in this way. “Personally, it is very humbling and brings me such joy that we are able to offer our first-gen upperclassmen the recognition that they so deserve,” she said.  

So far, the response to Tri Alpha has far exceeded Hicks’ expectations. “To have had 135 students join last year, our inaugural year, and another 175 this year is unbelievable,” she said. “I am in awe of the number of students who have accepted membership, but it speaks volumes as to the pride a first-gen student feels for excelling in their academic pursuits.”

For Hicks, supporting first-generation students isn’t just part of her job as head of Davenport’s first-generation initiative; it’s deeply personal.  “I am so passionate about helping and supporting students so they reach their goals. The first-gen program makes a meaningful impact on the current students we have, but it also inspires their families and friends to reach their goals,” she said.

One student being positively impacted by the first-gen program is Julie Lian (pictured above), who received her undergraduate degree in legal studies from Davenport and is currently working toward her MBA. “Being first-gen and now being inducted into the Tri-Alpha Honor Society means a lot to my family and me,” Lian said. “It’s especially meaningful because I came to the United States when I was 10 years old with no education. Now I’m a role model to people at home. Because I’m succeeding, they know they can do it too.” 

Sarah Komejan, a student in Davenport’s medical assisting program, joined Tri Alpha to boost her resume and give her leverage when looking for a job. She also hopes it inspires other first-generation students to continue working toward their goal of getting a college degree. “Graduating as a Tri-Alpha Honor Society member in a few weeks will represent the culmination of my hard work, dedication and perseverance,” she said. “I’m proud that I stuck with college, even when it was hard and when I wanted to give up.”

Business Administration major Bryson Huber joined Tri-Alpha to prove to himself and others that hard work opens doors. “It felt like the right community to be part of as I continue building toward my goals,” he said. “Graduating with the Tri-Alpha honor cords will be incredibly meaningful because they represent the choice to rise above the limitations I was born into. They are a symbol that your circumstances don’t have to define your ceiling.”

Davenport’s first-generation success program ensures that students like Lian, Komejan and Huber thrive in their first year of college and return to Davenport every year until they walk across the stage to accept their diploma at graduation.

To learn more about Davenport’s first-gen initiatives or the Tri-Alpha Honor Society, click here.