Grace College Inducts 36 Students Into Alpha Chi Honor Society
February 10, 2025 at 4:51 p.m.
WINONA LAKE — Grace College inducted 36 juniors and seniors into the Alpha Chi Honor Society on Saturday, Feb. 8.
These high-achieving students have earned the top 10% of GPAs across all disciplines at Grace. Every year, Alpha Chi inducts nearly 10,000 students from across the country, according to a news release from Grace.
Established in 1922, Alpha Chi aims to nurture academic excellence and character elements, making scholarship effective for good among college and university students of every discipline. The honor society celebrates more than a century of rich history marked by scholarship and service, the release states. Alpha Chi has been affiliated with the Association of College Honor Societies since 1955, making it the second-oldest and second-largest general honor society in the United States.
“As faculty, we look forward to this event every year, as these are students who have really distinguished themselves in academics throughout their time at Grace,” said Dr. Lauren Rich, Alpha Chi faculty sponsor and chair of the Department of Humanities. “Membership in Alpha Chi is an honor signifying students’ hard work, dedication to learning and strong character.”
New this year, Grace College paid the membership fee for all eligible students who wished to join. This was made possible by the support of Grace’s administration, particularly Dr. Kevin Roberts, Grace’s provost, as well as Doug Baumgardner, vice president of financial affairs, who joined Alpha Chi when he was a student at Grace.
After inductees were introduced by a faculty member from their major and presented with a certificate and pin, Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Aaron Crabtree delivered a keynote address. Rachel Carpenter, a 2024 Alpha Chi inductee and recent recipient of a $200 “In Scholarship and in Service” grant, gave the benediction.
The 2025 Grace College Alpha Chi Honor Society inductees are: Abigail Kiehn, Naperville, III., studying visual communication design; Alex Zieske, Sunnyside, Wis., studying accounting; Anna Berg, Kankakee, III., studying accounting; Anna Kezar, North Berwick, Maine, studying journalism; Aubree Vander Dussen, New Haven, studying youth ministry; Audrey Byers, Goshen, studying visual communication design; Audrey Deak, Osceola, studying psychology; Avery Samms, Dublin, Ohio, studying elementary education; Breah Liles, Glendale, Ariz., studying elementary education and mild intervention; Brett Knight, Hammond, studying accounting; Brooklynn Bosworth, Woodstock, Ohio, studying elementary education; Cadence Manning, Williamsfield, III., studying exercise science; Carter Clea, Boring, Ore., studying exercise science; Chloe Knollenberg, Plainfield, III., studying math education-secondary; Elli Rauch, Elkhart, studying professional communication; Ethan Stuckey, Archbold, Ohio, studying accounting; Grace Dick, Goshen, studying intercultural studies; Heidi Spahr, Zeeland, Mich., studying psychological and criminal justice and Spanish; Jack Beck, Fishers, studying biblical studies; Jaden “Keenan” LeBlanc, Brownsburg, studying health science; Kalli Kauffman, Goshen, studying English education; Kiara Wolland, Morton, III., studying marketing; Madeline “Maddie” Kreft, Bourbon, studying accounting; Miriam Studebaker, Hillsboro, Ohio, studying arts and visual culture; Rachel Macy, Springfield, Ohio, studying health science; Rebekah “Bekah” Rainey, Overland Park, III., studying counseling; Riley Owens, Bloomington, III., studying accounting; Ryan House, Ossian, studying biblical studies; Rylee Burns, Winona Lake, studying visual communication design; Rylie Koepke, Knox, studying visual communication design; Ryun Hoffert, Warsaw, studying management and accounting; Sarah Bollenbacher, Walkerton, studying elementary education; Tawn Kizer, Plymouth, studying arts and visual culture; Taylor Albert, Dryer, studying accounting; Trinity Beachy, Bremen, studying biblical studies; and Valerie Bockman, Fishers, studying media arts.
The Grace College Alpha Chi chapter is sponsored by the Office of Faith, Learning & Scholarship.
For more information on the Alpha Chi Honor Society, visit www.alphachihonor.org.
For more information about the Grace College Alpha Chi Chapter, contact faculty sponsor Dr. Lauren Rich at richlg@grace.edu.
WINONA LAKE — Grace College inducted 36 juniors and seniors into the Alpha Chi Honor Society on Saturday, Feb. 8.
These high-achieving students have earned the top 10% of GPAs across all disciplines at Grace. Every year, Alpha Chi inducts nearly 10,000 students from across the country, according to a news release from Grace.
Established in 1922, Alpha Chi aims to nurture academic excellence and character elements, making scholarship effective for good among college and university students of every discipline. The honor society celebrates more than a century of rich history marked by scholarship and service, the release states. Alpha Chi has been affiliated with the Association of College Honor Societies since 1955, making it the second-oldest and second-largest general honor society in the United States.
“As faculty, we look forward to this event every year, as these are students who have really distinguished themselves in academics throughout their time at Grace,” said Dr. Lauren Rich, Alpha Chi faculty sponsor and chair of the Department of Humanities. “Membership in Alpha Chi is an honor signifying students’ hard work, dedication to learning and strong character.”
New this year, Grace College paid the membership fee for all eligible students who wished to join. This was made possible by the support of Grace’s administration, particularly Dr. Kevin Roberts, Grace’s provost, as well as Doug Baumgardner, vice president of financial affairs, who joined Alpha Chi when he was a student at Grace.
After inductees were introduced by a faculty member from their major and presented with a certificate and pin, Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Aaron Crabtree delivered a keynote address. Rachel Carpenter, a 2024 Alpha Chi inductee and recent recipient of a $200 “In Scholarship and in Service” grant, gave the benediction.
The 2025 Grace College Alpha Chi Honor Society inductees are: Abigail Kiehn, Naperville, III., studying visual communication design; Alex Zieske, Sunnyside, Wis., studying accounting; Anna Berg, Kankakee, III., studying accounting; Anna Kezar, North Berwick, Maine, studying journalism; Aubree Vander Dussen, New Haven, studying youth ministry; Audrey Byers, Goshen, studying visual communication design; Audrey Deak, Osceola, studying psychology; Avery Samms, Dublin, Ohio, studying elementary education; Breah Liles, Glendale, Ariz., studying elementary education and mild intervention; Brett Knight, Hammond, studying accounting; Brooklynn Bosworth, Woodstock, Ohio, studying elementary education; Cadence Manning, Williamsfield, III., studying exercise science; Carter Clea, Boring, Ore., studying exercise science; Chloe Knollenberg, Plainfield, III., studying math education-secondary; Elli Rauch, Elkhart, studying professional communication; Ethan Stuckey, Archbold, Ohio, studying accounting; Grace Dick, Goshen, studying intercultural studies; Heidi Spahr, Zeeland, Mich., studying psychological and criminal justice and Spanish; Jack Beck, Fishers, studying biblical studies; Jaden “Keenan” LeBlanc, Brownsburg, studying health science; Kalli Kauffman, Goshen, studying English education; Kiara Wolland, Morton, III., studying marketing; Madeline “Maddie” Kreft, Bourbon, studying accounting; Miriam Studebaker, Hillsboro, Ohio, studying arts and visual culture; Rachel Macy, Springfield, Ohio, studying health science; Rebekah “Bekah” Rainey, Overland Park, III., studying counseling; Riley Owens, Bloomington, III., studying accounting; Ryan House, Ossian, studying biblical studies; Rylee Burns, Winona Lake, studying visual communication design; Rylie Koepke, Knox, studying visual communication design; Ryun Hoffert, Warsaw, studying management and accounting; Sarah Bollenbacher, Walkerton, studying elementary education; Tawn Kizer, Plymouth, studying arts and visual culture; Taylor Albert, Dryer, studying accounting; Trinity Beachy, Bremen, studying biblical studies; and Valerie Bockman, Fishers, studying media arts.
The Grace College Alpha Chi chapter is sponsored by the Office of Faith, Learning & Scholarship.
For more information on the Alpha Chi Honor Society, visit www.alphachihonor.org.
For more information about the Grace College Alpha Chi Chapter, contact faculty sponsor Dr. Lauren Rich at richlg@grace.edu.