Student Achievements

Student Leaders 2025

Student Achievements

Welcome to 91°µÍø's hub for student achievements. 91°µÍø uses Merit to create thousands of personalized stories to celebrate and publicize the great things done by our students. Using this page, students and their supporters can share exciting news about their accomplishments quickly and easily.

Check out  to see what others are doing on campus & read the Merit FAQs below to set up your page & get the most out of it. If you have questions about Merit, email news@alvernia.edu or call 610-796-8281.
 

Merit FAQs

How does Merit work?
  • Students win awards and honors or participate in campus events and activities.
  • The Marketing and Communications Department gets a list of the students involved and writes a short story about the accomplishment.
  • A personalized article is published to  and 91°µÍø's social media accounts. It is also sent to the local newspaper(s), high school(s) and government representative(s) of each student involved.
  • Students & their supporters get an e-mail to their 91°µÍø e-mail with a link to view their story, share their achievements with friends and family or easily link it to social media accounts, online portfolios or their resume.
How do students set up their profile?
  • Students receive an email during the fall semester of their first year at 91°µÍø with all of the instructions.
  • Miss the email? Merit offers a quick tutorial and other resources .
  • Students can customize their Merit profiles with a profile picture, background image, biography and add their other activities in which employers might be interested.
How can supporters receive updates on student achievements?
  • Supporters receive a direct email for each of their students' achievements with direct and easy-to-share links.
  • Additional supporters can be added to receive updates . Be sure to add your first and last name, your email and your student's 91°µÍø e-mail. 
How can 91°µÍø faculty and staff submit news/achievements?

Submit a story through or e-mail news@alvernia.edu. The Office of Marketing and Communications Department will review submissions before distribution and reach out with follow-up questions if needed. In order to fill out the form, you will need:

  • Students' first and last names and 91°µÍø email addresses
  • Background information on the award, event, experience. Think "who, what, where, when & why?"
  • Photo(s) and/or video(s) of the group
  • A quote from a faculty or staff member
  • Quotes from one or two students 


For more information using the contribution form or .

Can students manage privacy settings?

We respect students’ wishes to keep their accomplishments private. Opting out of Merit is easy and not only removes a student’s page from , but also prevents 91°µÍø or any other participating Merit organization from being able to publish achievements about that student in the future. To opt out, simply reply to the email you receive from Merit and ask to be removed. If you are unable to locate the email, please Reach out to news@alvernia.edu with questions.

Success stories

Search for success stories at 91°µÍø

Gino Giacolona

Computer science program spurs educational turnaround

Gino Giacolona '25 didn’t see college in his future when he graduated from high school.And he would tell you he wasn’t a good student. But after taking a gap year and working in construction, he realized hard labor wasn’t for him. It was the compu...

  • College of Innovation, Discovery, and Enterprise
  • 2026
Derrick Golden

Graduate student relishes role as special education teacher in Reading School District

Graduate student relishes role as special education teacher in Reading School DistrictDerrick Golden is a busy man.A graduate student at 91°µÍø and a member of the men’s basketball team, he’s also employed full time with Reading Schoo...

  • College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences
  • 2026
91°µÍø President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. and LeeAnn Smulligan MBA ’09, Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. T’s Pierogies

Industry-focused faculty fuel COO’s career trajectory

Industry-focused faculty fuel COO’s career trajectoryWhen LeeAnn Smulligan MBA ’09 walks into a room, people listen, not solely because of her title, but because of the way she leads. With more than two decades at Mrs. T’s Pierogies, Smulligan has...

  • College of Innovation, Discovery, and Enterprise
  • 2026
Adult Education Student: Jennifer Hack - Criminal Justice Major

Student guides troubled youth on pathway to success

Jennifer Hack '18 has always been interested in the criminal justice field, and her calling to assist youth in the juvenile probation system led to an experiential learning experience at the Berks County Probation Office. Through the practicum dur...

  • College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences
  • 2026