More than 80 students were inducted into Delta Epsilon Sigma, a national scholastic honor society for students at colleges and universities with a Catholic tradition.
Dr. Dawn Francis, Delta Epsilon Sigma Faculty adviser and communication professor, orchestrated the induction ceremony that took place in The Woodcrest Mansion’s dining room on Tuesday, Feb. 25, to an audience of just over 100 inductees, family members and faculty.
The students inducted into Delta Epsilon Sigma must have completed at least a half of their credit requirements for their baccalaureate degree and rank in the top 20 percent of their class.
“This honor society encompasses that mission of social justice which has been part of my life now and will for years to come,” Jillian Megna, junior exercise science major, said. “This honor society represents the past, but does not mean an end point—it’s encouragement to keep going.”
While the evening was run by Francis, it also bolstered additional segments including an opening prayer by Rev. Carl F. Janicki, director of campus ministry, introductions by Anne Skelder, provost and vice president of academic affairs and Deb Takes, interim president, and a speech given by alumnus Abel Rodriguez, immigration specialist and staff attorney at Nationalities Service Center, who was chosen to speak due to how important encompassing Cabrini’s “education of the heart” is to being inducted into this honor society.
“How we treat our poor and most vulnerable defines us,” Rodriguez said. “How we care for those in this country and the policies we may support that decide what happen abroad—this is what tells us who we are. This is what defines us as people and a people.”
The majority of Rodriguez’s speech depicted what he does in the field of social justice and stories that showcased his work, while simultaneously calling us to work towards the same cause. “I chose the law to serve others, but know that you can pursue any career with a social justice lens,” Rodriguez said.
The hour-long event gave students recognition for the work they’ve done, and reason to keep pushing towards Mother Cabrini’s idea of “education of the heart.”
“Even though I’m in a few other honor societies, this one definitely feels more important,” Chris Keeney, American studies major, said. “On one aspect it shows that I am one of the top students in my class, and on the other it feels good being one of the first inductees since they brought it back to campus.”
