The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
On Saturday, April 5, East Stroudsburg University welcomed 40 gifted students from local and regional school districts to the Saturday Gifted Institute. ESU students taking Instructional Planning in Special Education (SPED 215) created a day of hands-on learning for elementary and middle school aged children (grades 2-8.) Belle Hnasko, from Somerset, is a student in the class. This semester, the pre-service students created lessons involving advocacy and supporting the community. The students were broken into five groups representing agencies and topics including K-9 Warriors, AWSOM, Camp Papillion, Foster Care, and Childhood Diabetes.
Bianca Bacchione of Somerset has been named to the 2024 fall trimester Dean’s List at Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Florida Campus in Port Orange, Florida.
Cheyenne Alburg of Franklin Park was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, at Kean University. Alburg is among approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Emerson College student Sasha Salins of Franklin Park earns Dean’s List honors for Fall 2024 semester at Emerson College. Salins is majoring in Stage and Production Management and is a member of the Emerson College Class of 2027. The requirement to make the Dean’s List is a grade point average of 3.7 or higher for that semester.
Kevin Fahy of Somerset contributed to the publishing of this year’s Green Blotter Literary Magazine. Fahy, a graduate of Saint Joseph’s High School, is pursuing a bachelor of arts in creative arts and English at Lebanon Valley College. Fahy was a member of the Reader Board. Green Blotter is published annually by the Green Blotter Literary Society of Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa., and features poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and art submitted by undergraduate student writers everywhere. The magazine’s mission is to provide a much-needed platform for undergraduate creative writers and artists and foster outstanding work in each genre we publish. He is also one of 14 Lebanon Valley College students presenting work in the Studio Art Thesis Exhibition. Created during the Spring 2025 semester as a capstone experience in studio art, each artist’s work demonstrates conceptual thinking and technical refinement in the visualization of ideas. The exhibit is on display through May 10 at the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery. Fahy was recently inducted into Kappa Pi, and was recognized for academic achievement as part of the College’s Inquiry celebration.
Kean University is proud to recognize 3,010 undergraduate students who earned a place on the Dean’s List for the Fall 2024 semester, including the following local residents: Cheyenne Alburg of Franklin Park – Studio Art; Kierra Moore of Franklin Park – Psychology; Gana Alareidi of Somerset – Biology; Jason Williams of Somerset – History Education/TSD; Heidy Montes of Somerset – Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences; Kiyante Grant of Somerset; Dexter Richardson of Somerset – Liberal Arts; Cecily Cuadra of Somerset – Criminal Justice; Armani Reynoso of Somerset – Communication – Media and Film; Christopher Gutierrez of Somerset – Exercise Science – Pre-Athletic Training/Physical Therapy; Sarala Thompson of Somerset – Psychology; Suha Jawad of Somerset – Interior Design; Chiamaka Agboje of Somerset – Information Technology; Emmanuel Nwigwe of Somerset – Computer Science; Mekhi Tanner Upshaw of Somerset – Forensic Psychology; Codou Coundoul of Somerset – Communication – Public Relations; Abdul-Qayyum Matthews of Somerset – Exercise Science; Faaz Syed of Somerset – Management; Joy Allen of Somerset – Liberal Arts; Aaliyah Van Cooten of Somerset – Psychology; Kwaku Owusu of Somerset – Exercise Science – Pre-Athletic Training/Physical Therapy; Lauryn Repollet of Somerset – Architectural Studies; Anabel Makutonin of Somerset – Management; Alisa Dovbnya of Somerset – Computer Science; Alyssa Pecorella of Somerset – Biology; Breana Owens of Somerset – Management, Quincy Nelson of Somerset – Exercise Science – Pre-Athletic Training/Physical Therapy.
Rebecca J. Russo of Somerset was among the 18 undergraduate students, four recent graduates and seven professors who presented research at the 2025 Eastern Psychological Association conference in Philadelphia on Mar. 5 to Mar. 9. In total, 13 research posters and papers were presented by University of Scranton students and professors. The Eastern Psychological Association, founded in 1896, is the oldest of the regional Psychological Associations in the United States. Russo ’27, a psychology major, presented research titled “Siding with the Aggressor: Authoritarianism in Judgments of Racial Microaggressions” with faculty members Christie Karpiak, Ph.D., professor of psychology and Anthony Betancourt, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology.
Centenary University recognized 23 students, as well as an advisor, at the annual Academic and Student Leadership Awards Ceremony on April 16. The ceremony celebrated outstanding academic and extracurricular contributions to the University and surrounding communities. The local student honored was Troy Sumpter of Franklin Park, the Centenary Spirit Cyclone Award.
Sean C. Ferraro of Somerset, earned a Bachelor of Science Cum Laude in Computer Networks and Cybersecurity from University of Maryland Global Campus in fall 2024. Ferraro was one of nearly 5,900 students worldwide who earned degrees from UMGC in the fall 2024 term.
It is with great pleasure that Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) congratulates the following students on being named to the Spring 2025 Dean’s List. The spring terms run from January to May: Conner Price of Somerset, Ciaran Byrne of Somerset, and Omer Tayeb of Franklin Park. Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.500 to 3.699 for the reporting term are named to the Dean’s List. Full-time status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8-week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring, and summer.
It is with great pleasure that Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) congratulates the following students on being named to the Spring 2025 President’s List. The spring terms run from January to May: Sakeenah Ali-Muslim of Somerset, Sean Tyree of Somerset, Harinder Singh of Somerset, Bryana Beatty of Somerset, Veronica Kuras of Somerset, and Jenise Williams of Somerset. Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.700 and above for the reporting term are named to the President’s List. Full-time status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8-week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring, and summer.
