May 4, 2024
Resident of Effort, Pa., founded the University’s Tri Alpha Honor Society, which provides support for and recognizes the accomplishments of first-generation college students.
HACKETTSTOWN, NJ, May 4, 2024 —Michael Tichy wasn’t considered a top student academically at the small high school he attended in Pennsylvania. On Saturday, May 4, Tichy graduated as the valedictorian of the Centenary University Class of 2024 with a 3.9 grade point average (GPA). He completed his college degree in just three years.
“Centenary was a new beginning for me,” said Tichy, a resident of Effort, Pa., who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and minors in psychology and sociology. “I did well in high school, but I didn’t have a great GPA and didn’t make it into the National Honor Society. When I got to college, I really wanted to take who I am to the next level.”
A member of the Centenary University Honors Program, Tichy is a first-generation college student, a designation that poses significant hurdles for students and can sometimes affect future success. Tichy was determined to change those odds—for himself and other first-gen students at Centenary. For his honors capstone project, he studied factors that shape the college experience for first-gen students and was the driving force in establishing a Centenary University chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha—also referred to as Tri Alpha—the national honor society for first-gen students.
Through his research, Tichy found that first-gen students often lack financial resources and confidence, choose less selective colleges, and have lower GPAs and graduation rates than peers who had a parent attend college. Many of those feelings were familiar to Tichy: “You can have imposter syndrome: ‘My parents didn’t go to college, so why am I on this campus?’ You feel like there’s a stigma attached because you’re a first-gen student. Those feelings are important to highlight because they can lead to a huge disparity between first-gen students and their peers.”
Tichy decided to turn his first-gen status into his biggest strength. He explained, “Being a first-gen student has shaped who I am, not only academically, but my morals and values as a person. I really felt that I had to prove myself. That’s why I became passionate about bringing Tri Alpha to Centenary.”
A key to the success of first-gen students at Centenary is the small campus environment and support students receive from faculty and staff, according to Tichy. In addition to becoming an academic leader he was very involved in campus life, including serving as a resident assistant and member of the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) equestrian team and the Psi Chi Honor Society. He also completed an internship In Andover, NJ, at Jenny D Mindset, a small business that specializes in mental performance training for athletes. Tichy plans to attend Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania to earn a Master of Science in Sport and Performance Psychology. “Honestly, Centenary is the best place ever,” Tichy said. “There’s a real push for excellence here. As a first-gen student, I appreciate how Centenary provides the resources, but also pushes students toward accessing those resources and using them to gain the most benefit. The support of the faculty and staff here is unmatched.”
ABOUT CENTENARY UNIVERSITY
Centenary University offers extraordinary learning opportunities that empower students to develop intellectually, emotionally, and interculturally—keys to career and personal success. Under the leadership of President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D., the University aspires to advance its reputation as a world class institution offering innovative programs, including the world’s first Master of Arts in Happiness Studies, to lift the future for our students and local communities.
CONTACT
Kristen Volkland
Erbach Communications Group
(201) 960-3102
