NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society for First-Year Success has been awarded the Maintaining the Flame Award for activities during the 2019-20 academic year. This award highlights continued excellence in programming, internal communications, campus visibility and overall presentation of their application.
The successful chapter at Northwestern State University was led last year by Katelyn Kennedy, president; Tyler Magnano, vice president; Jessica Mullican, secretary; Matt Nelson, treasurer; David Thibodaux, scholarship chair; Christina Gilbert, historian/webmaster; Sheridan Duet, service chair, and Peyton Harville, faculty liaison. Reatha Cox is chapter advisor.
“Alpha Lambda Delta taught me the definition of servant leadership,” Kennedy said. “You join the organization because of your GPA, but Alpha Lambda Delta is constantly doing different events and service activities. We partner with many different departments and organizations and try to impact our local community and campus in positive leadership and activities. At least once a week ALD is promoting something or we are serving somewhere on campus and I am so grateful for this organization and all that it has taught me.”
“For the second time in the last three years, our chapter received a national award,” Cox said. “Two years ago, we received the Torch Award, which chapters can only receive every four years. These awards are based on events and programming, communication and service. We also have three national scholarship recipients this year. Our chapter members have volunteered at the NSU Food Pantry, the Natchitoches Car Show and will be at the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival, among other events.”
NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio praised the chapter and its emphasis on academics and service learning.
“This chapter is one of the top chapters in America,” Maggio said. “This organization recognizes NSU’s best and brightest and the importance of working together and collaboration.”
“We sincerely appreciate the work it takes to achieve the Maintaining the Flame award,” said Eileen Merberg, national executive director of Alpha Lambda Delta. “The students from these winning institutions demonstrated high quality programming, outstanding communication across campus and in their communities and overall excellence.”
College students have to juggle many responsibilities including academics, family, work, friends, community service and participation in campus organizations. Given these reasons, Merberg notes “it is truly impressive what the winning chapters were able to accomplish this past year. Even more so with a pandemic that interrupted the academic year, these chapters were able to stay engaged and continue the important work of supporting student success.”
In addition to Northwestern State, the National Council of Alpha Lambda Delta recognized five other chapters across the nation with the Maintaining the Flame award. They were Converse College, Dickinson College, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), University of Oklahoma and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Winning scrapbooks may be found at www.nationalald.org/torch.
Alpha Lambda Delta is a national honor society that recognizes students’ academic success during their first year at a college or university. Founded in 1924, Alpha Lambda Delta has over a million lifetime members and is present on over 280 campuses nationwide. Alpha Lambda Delta’s mission is to “encourage superior academic achievement, to promote intelligent living and a continued high standard of learning, and to assist students in recognizing and developing meaningful goals for their unique roles in society.”
