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Eighteen SUNY Cortland students have been elected to membership in Alpha Sigma Lambda, an international honor society recognizing the academic achievements of non-traditional students.

The induction ceremony and dinner was held April 14 in Brockway Hall Jacobus Lounge.

The SUNY Cortland chapter, Lambda Omicron, has elected members to the honor society for 14 years. Alpha Sigma Lambda national standards indicate that students elected to membership are in the top 20 percent of all students at SUNY Cortland, age 24 or older, who have completed 24 credits of work at SUNY Cortland with a grade point average of 3.2 or better. For the inductees to be in the top 20 percent of students at SUNY Cortland this year, they needed to have a grade point average of 3.6 or higher. The GPA range for this group of students inducted was 3.6 to 4.12.

Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum offered welcoming remarks to the new members. Chris Widdall ’00 and ’03, assistant professor from the Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department, was the faculty guest speaker. She reflected on her non-traditional student experiences and reminded the audience to pursue things not because they have to but they get to.

Sheila Shea, a senior childhood education major and member of Alpha Sigma Lambda, presented the ideals of the honor society. Christopher Caughey, a senior selected studies with a focus on science of physical activity major and secretary of the Non-Traditional Student Organization, assisted in administering the pledge of membership to the inductees.

“I look forward to this induction ceremony every year,” said Cheryl Smith Hines ‘05, coordinator for Non-Traditional Student Support and the national councilor for the Alpha Sigma Lambda Omicron chapter. “I get to induct our new members into this honor society and celebrate their hard work and successes. It amazes me how these students are able to balance their high GPAs with their other responsibilities such as family, jobs and long commutes to campus to attend classes. For some adult students, it can be overwhelming and intimidating to attend a typically traditional-aged college. These students are great role models for our campus.”

Students who have been elected to membership are:

Lee Berrien, Devon Dattmore, Darlene Endy,  Jessica Garrow, Paw Hutko, Jisang Kim, Jessica Maney, Ashley Miller, Robert Nelli, Krista Podolny, Lisa Ruquet, Heather Scheck, Amanda Shaw, Shawn Smith, Jenna Sterling, Lacy Sweeney, Tammy Walrath and Kimberly Zarzynski.         

Widdall was inducted as an honorary member.

For more information about Alpha Sigma Lambda, visit www.alphasigmlambda.org.