May 7, 2025
Twenty-four students and two faculty and staff members were inducted into the University of Georgia chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha, the national honor society recognizing first-generation college students during an on-campus ceremony April 24, hosted by UGA’s Office for Student Success and Achievement (OSSA).
The ceremony included remarks from members of the chapter’s executive board, a reading of the society’s history and guiding principles, the initiation pledge and the presentation of honor cords and certificates to inductees.
According to Kelsei Etchison, coordinator for scholars programs in OSSA, Alpha Alpha Alpha celebrates students who are the first in their families to attend college and who have also demonstrated exceptional academic achievement. “These students have set a high standard, and their induction into this national honor society is a testament to their hard work, leadership and dedication to learning,” she said.
UGA faculty and staff members who were inducted are: Holly Fling, Ph.D., a lecturer and academic coach and Alexandra Sanders, program coordinator with Upward Bound in OSSA. First-generation college students themselves, they will now serve as mentors for students in the honor society.
About Tri-Alpha
Tri-Alpha was founded in 2018 to recognize academic excellence among first-generation college students and foster connections across institutions. Eligible students must have earned at least 30 credit hours and maintain a GPA of 3.2 or higher. To learn more, visit 1stgenhonors.org.
About OSSA
The University of Georgia’s Office for Student Success and Achievement, a unit of the Office of Instruction, supports students throughout their academic journey by providing programs and services including free peer tutoring, academic coaching, targeted support for rural and first-generation students, academic success courses, and more. For more information, visit ossa.uga.edu.
