The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Lakeland Community College names new English honor society members
More than 50 English-student standouts were recognized this month at Lakeland Community College via induction into the school’s Tau Delta chapter of the Sigma Kappa Delta honor society.
According to a news release from Lakeland, 57 students were inducted into the school’s chapter of the international honor society serving two-year institutions.
“Membership in Sigma Kappa Delta reflects academic excellence, and members must maintain an overall grade-point average of 3.3 as well as earning no less than a grade of B in their collegelevel English courses,” the release reads.
Assistant English professor Natalie Hopper, who co-advises the Tau Delta chapter of the organization, said membership in the group helps provide recognition and a sense of accomplishment to students across the entire college-level achievement spectrum.
“For some students, this is one of many accolades they have received in their educational career, but for others this is the first real recognition of academic excellence that they have worked hard to achieve,” Hopper typed in a Nov. 24 e-mail exchange
The 57 students inducted into the society at a Nov. 2 ceremony are: Abdulsalam Alshammari, Temitayo Araba, Morgan Balazs, Gabriele Baltrünaite, Anthony Bolaney, Cameron Boyd, Madeline Dulaney, Felicia Dunlop, Rebecca Eubank,
“For some students, this is one of many accolades they have received in their educational career, but for others this is the first real recognition of academic excellence that they have worked hard to achieve,” — Assistant English professor Natalie Hopper
Nicole M. Fiorelli, Wadzanai Goronga, Bridget Green, Christopher Hayden, Alan Hernandez, Brian Hill, Annaliese Hribar, Sidney Hutson, Grace Jarrell, Amanda Kazsmer, Ryan Kron, Megan Kropko, Courtney Krystek, Timothy Lazuka, Brooke Leanza, Katherine Lessick, Anthony Lobdell, Christine Lowe, Cheri Marshfield, Kathy Mayer, Kelly McMullen, Irene Miller, Hannah Minor, John Mirabile, Michael Mocny, Alicia Moellenkamp, Emily Muhlbach, Jessica Nichols, Victoria Novotny, Yvette Petersen, Kristen Phan, Ellie Piszel, Alena Plaga, Aaron Retych, Tracey Rodgers, Michael Seese, Ashley Serraglio, Kalla Smith-Taylor, Kacie Sparks, Amanda Sperling, Kelly Stamberger, Emily Starzynski, Sadé Stidham, Michael Tomc, Bobby Tucker, Kyle Wylie, Joseph Yoon, and Matthew Zeitler.
Hopper said SKD was founded in 1996 and brought to Lakeland around 2009 by English professor April Mason, “who felt it was important to show these students that the English department and college notice and value their hard word and success.”
She added that it serves as encouragement for would-be English majors at Lakeland, too.
“It also provides an opportunity for us as a department to encourage and support students who love to read and write, since Lakeland does not currently have an English degree or certificate (though our faculty is working on that),” she writes. “It is immensely rewarding to continue to provide this opportunity to celebrate student excellence, to provide students a community of fellow readers and writers on campus, and to work with students to help them execute community service projects.”
According to Hopper, the group’s ongoing service project, which runs through Dec. 15, is a fund drive for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
“We did two drives last year and raised enough money for the GCFB to provide 3,700 meals,” Hopper’s e-mail reads.