Piedmont University prides itself on fostering an environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive academically and personally. One shining example of this commitment is Tri Alpha, a club designed to support and empower first-generation college students.
“Tri Alpha is an honor society for first-gen students. The students have to have completed 30 credit hours of coursework at the undergraduate level and earned a 3.2 GPA or higher,” said Dr. Windy Charles, Piedmont University’s professor of humanities. “To be considered a first-gen student, their parents must not have completed a bachelor’s degree before the student. A sibling completing a bachelor’s degree before them would still allow them to be first-gen.”
The significance of Tri Alpha resonates deeply with Charles.
“Tri-Alpha is important to me because I am a first gen student whose parents were both high school dropouts. Navigating college was difficult because my parents had no idea how to prepare or support me in my journey. If I had had a support group like Tri Alpha, college would have been much easier,” said Charles.
Tri Alpha isn’t just a club; it’s a family full of support and common experience.
“Tri Alpha is a branch of the first-gen committee, which is composed of faculty and staff who are looking for ways to support our first-gen students on campus via financial aid, advising, mentoring, and giving those students a stronger voice,” said Charles. “We also offer training to faculty and staff to help them better understand the needs of these students.”
For more information about resources and help for first-gen students, contact Ineke Dyer, director of student support services at Piedmont University.
The advisors of the Tri-Alpha Honor Society, Dr. Windy Charles and Dr. Matthew Teutsch would also be happy to answer any questions regarding the group.
Initiation is held once a year, and the organization will take efforts to reach out to the students who qualify.
