First-Year Honor Society Begins their Spring Membership Drive

Alpha Lambda Delta, an honor society for First-Year Academic Success, is in the process of recruiting its newest members at Meredith College. This organization has been recognized on campus since 1989 and serves as a great way to recognize the early academic success of our first-year students.  Nationally, Alpha Lambda Delta is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) and has a rich history dating back to its beginnings in the early 1920s. 

Email invitations will be sent in February to students new to college who earned a 3.5 or above GPA during their first semester at Meredith and are in the top 20% of their class. The chapter also plans to send a congratulations letter home “to the family of___” during this time. Oftentimes, it’s the parent who sees the information first and then tells the student to check their email! 

“We hear from many students who accept membership that they are thrilled to get an invitation to join an honor society so early in their college journey, says Lisa Brown, Co-Director of the First Year Experience and the honor society’s chapter advisor. “It gives them a boost of confidence that they are doing something right and that they can succeed in college.” 

Accepting membership in Alpha Lambda Delta gives students the opportunity to meet other students with high academic ambition, to try out leadership positions at an early stage in their college career, and to participate in service and social activities that complement their classroom learning.

The Meredith College chapter has an excellent track record of receiving scholarships from the national organization. In 2018, one of Meredith’s members was awarded the Jo Ann J. Trow Undergraduate Scholarship from the national organization. In 2021, 2020, and 2019, Meredith students were also awarded funding to support their graduate studies as well as studying abroad.

If you have a first-year student, please be sure to check with them about their eligibility. Each year we are aware of a handful of students who either don’t read their invitation, delete it because they doubt the legitimacy, or don’t choose to join because they don’t understand the importance of academic recognition early in their college careers. “Students later regret they did not join during their eligibility period in their first year at college,” shares Brown, “and often all it takes is a friendly reminder from home.” The recruitment period for First Year students is between February 21 and March 17, 2023. The Induction Ceremony for the newest members will be held on March 28 at 7 p.m. Families are encouraged to attend. More information about Alpha Lambda Delta can be found on their website: www.nationalald.org