Mount students earn honor

Join estimable Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society

Fourteen new students were inducted into the Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society in a virtual ceremony on April 28.

The Delta Alpha Pi is an academic honor society which recognizes students with disabilities for their academic achievements. There are over 170 DAPi chapters with over 3,200 members across the United States. Established in 2017, the Mount Wachusett Community College Delta Alpha Pi chapter is one of only nine in the commonwealth.

In order to be eligible for the Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society, students must have completed 24 credits and earned an overall grade point average of 3.10. DAPi inductees pledge to demonstrate leadership in advancing the rights of individuals with disabilities, to serve as a role model for

other students, and to advocate for themselves and other individuals with disabilities.

“I truly applaud each and every one of you and the efforts you have made together,” said Mount Wachusett President James Vander Hooven. “Doing well academically is never easy, even in the best of times. That you have achieved this honor is a real testament to your hard work.

“You are all scholars. You have tremendous intellectual and emotional gifts, inside and outside the classroom,” said Senior Dean of Student Affairs Jason Zelesky. “Continue to do good work. Continue to work hard. Remember, no matter what you do in life, be the best at it. Your story is what you have, it is uniquely yours, and no one can take that away from you.”

Amy LaBarge, coordinator of disability services and DAPi adviser, also said: “You kept trying. Not only did you try, but you excelled. You overcame obstacles and were not defeated by them. The lessons you have learned over the past year will carry through the future.”

The Delta Alpha Pi 2021 inductees and their majors are:

Ayer: Scott Walters — Graphic and Interactive Design; Ashley Truong — Nursing

Dracut: Paige Landry — Human Services

Gardner: Christopher Jones — Nursing; Clairet Martinez — Criminal Justice Law; Lisa McMaster — Liberal Arts & Sciences

Holden: Jessica Pelland — Veterinary Technology

Leominster: Logan Corrado — Audio Engineering; Andrew Lanciani — Exercise & Sports Science; Michael Milholland — Natural Resources; Jeane Narcisse — Human Services; and Malissa Wilson — Human Services

Orange: Jennifer Gariepy — Liberal Arts & Sciences

Shirley: Connor Martino — Art