Tri-C’s First Class Of Honors Program Fellows Graduates Includes Students From Parma
Twenty-one months after signing academic commitment letters with Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®), Joseph Massaroni and Zachary Toth of Parma delivered on their penned promise. They were among 11 members of Tri-C’s first Honors Program Fellowship class to cross the stage at Spring Commencement on May 19. All enrolled at Tri-C in August 2014 with scholarships designated for high-achieving high school graduates and covering tuition, fees and books.
Students accepted into the program pledged to earn a degree from the College within two years. Mission accomplished. “We expected academic excellence from these students as they entered Cuyahoga Community College,” said Herbert Mausser, assistant dean of Honors and Experiential Learning Programs. “They certainly delivered.”
As a group, the soon-to-be graduates entered their final semester with a cumulative 3.75 GPA. They also amassed numerous academic honors on their way to earning associate degrees from the College. (Massaroni earned two degrees. He also marched at Fall Commencement.)
All 11 now plan to pursue bachelor’s degrees in their fields of study. The College designed the fellowship program to support student transfer to a four-year institution to pursue advanced degrees. The fellowship places special emphasis on academic planning and mentoring.
“I am so proud of these students,” Mausser said. “They made Tri-C their first option for a college education, and now their options for further study are wide open.”
The scholarships — valued at up to $4,250 per year — are funded through donations to the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation. The goal is to expand the program to up to 80 students a year.
For more information on the Honors Program Fellowship and eligibility requirements, contact Mausser at 216-987-4660 or herbert.mausser@tri-c.edu.
John Horton
Media Relations Manager at Cuyahoga Community College