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Kent State’s chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD) honored students earlier this semester during their induction ceremony on January 29, 2022. Current officers were tasked to make it the largest induction group ever and they did just that. The official ceremony was held both in-person and virtually via . The academic honors society invites all first-year students who have received a 3.5 GPA or higher to join the organization. Once initiated, they are made an honorary member for life and can receive scholarships, network, and expand on leadership and professional skills.

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The backbone of the organization is made up of a staff advisor and seven (7) student officers. Together, they host meetings and events that run all year round. Past events they have ​​had are “ALD Succulent Night”, “Pumpkin Painting”, and “Valentine Craft Night”. For upcoming events, they will be participating in Women’s Center Service Days to help recycle fabric to make sanitary products for girls in developing countries.

Lauren Huffman (She/Her) serves as the current advisor for ALD and has been with the organization for the past four and a half years. When she first joined the Honors College as an academic advisor, she was tasked with the opportunity to work with ALD students and it has been the highlight of her job since. When asked about what her favorite part about working with the students is, she answered, “Just that: working with the students. This year especially has been really unique, a lot of our officers are continuing from last year, so I have been able to see them grow a lot.” Huffman highlights the work that the officers are doing and enjoys watching their plan turn into action and the direction that the organization is heading.

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Julie Duszak (She/Her) serves as the current Vice President of ALD. She is a Speech Pathology and Audiology major, with minors in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Human Development and Family Studies. Outside of ALD, Duszak serves as the Secretary of the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association. When she is not in class, Julie works as an America Reads Tutor at Davey Elementary School and as a research assistant in the Speech and Hearing Clinic’s PLAID Lab.

In wanting to join ALD, Julie states that, “I wanted to join Alpha Lambda Delta because I wanted to be a part of an organization on campus that gives back to the community through volunteer opportunities and meeting like-minded people. In my time in ALD, we have put on toy drives to donate toys to kids at Akron Children’s Hospital, we have written holiday cards for individuals in nursing homes for the holidays, and so much more. It makes me very proud to be a member of an organization that cares about the community so much! In addition, I am so glad I joined ALD because I have been able to meet so many great individuals that I wouldn’t have otherwise crossed paths with.”

Since being initiated into ALD, Julie has so many memories, but she shared her favorite with us, “Being able to go to the National ALD Conference in Washington, D.C. At the conference, I was able to meet student leaders from other ALD chapters across the country. We were able to learn from each other and take away new ideas to bring back to our chapter!”

With Alpha Lambda Delta is an organization that students have the option of joining, Duszak highly encourages everyone to commit if they have the opportunity. She said that, “There is so much that ALD has to offer, from volunteer opportunities to social events along with many professional development opportunities. I would also recommend running to become an officer of Alpha Lambda Delta! I have learned so much through my position as Vice President of the chapter and I have learned so much from my fellow officers.”

When asked about leaving a legacy with the organization, Julie states that, “I would really love if Kent State’s chapter continued to excel in student engagement and community service moving forward, because that’s really what the Order of the Torch award and Alpha Lambda Delta are all about.” The Order of the Torch is a virtual scrapbook describing all of the activities and member engagement of each chapter of ALD throughout the years. Last year, the chapter was selected as one of the winners of the Order of the Torch for the 2020-2021 academic year chapter.

To learn more about the Kent State chapter, visit their Instagram @ald_kentstate or visit the official page for .

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PHOTO CAPTION 1: Alpha Lambda Delta officers during the 2022 induction ceremony

PHOTO CAPTION 2: Alpha Lambda Delta officers

PHOTO CAPTION 3: Vice President Julie Duszak

 

Media Contact: Stephanie Moskal, smoskal@kent.edu, 330-672-2312