Shining Stars On Campus: College Students From Ellington, Somers

ELLINGTON-SOMERS, CT — Here are some recent notable accomplishments by local college students, as provided by readMedia Newswire. More great feats will be noted as they are received in the coming weeks.

Champlain College, Burlington VT

• Jeffrey Gordon, Anna Olender and Zachary Webber,all of Ellington, were named to the Champlain College Dean's List for achieving a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in the fall 2023 semester.

The Citadel, Charleston SC

• The Citadel's mission of producing principled leaders is well demonstrated through the ROTC detachments, which provide cadets with the necessary tools to prepare them for their future military careers after graduation. The departments, which include Air Force/Space Force ROTC, Army ROTC, Marine Corps ROTC and Navy ROTC, ensures The Citadel is one of the nation's proven producers of top military leaders. Each year, about 30 percent of those graduating from the South Carolina Corps of Cadets earn commissions into all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Annually, the departments nominate their finest cadets and active duty students for awards. Recipients were honored as a group on Thursday, March 28. Colby McCormick of Somers received the Military Order of the World Wars Award (MOWW), presented to one member in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th class from each branch of service for their diligence in demonstrating military excellence and outstanding accomplishments during the year.

Endicott College, Beverly MA

• Endicott College, the first college in the U.S. to require internships of its students, is pleased to announce its fall 2023 Dean's List students, including Mackenzie Bridge, Nicola Carnevale and Zachary Hojnowski, all of Somers, and Ellington residents Ava Caron, Kevin Lunsford and Hannah Spivey. In order to qualify for the Dean's List, a student must obtain a minimum grade point average of 3.5, receive no letter grade below "C," have no withdrawal grades, and be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits for the semester.

Sacred Heart University, Fairfield CT

• Olivia Suter of Somers was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. 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.

Stonehill College, Easton MA

• Benjamin Lipman, a member of Stonehill College's Class of 2025 from Ellington, participated in the 2024 National Model United Nations Conference in New York City from Saturday, March 23 to Friday, March 29. The Stonehill delegation, which represented Nepal on 10 different committees at the conference, ranked in the top 15 percent among 250 colleges and universities from over 35 countries.