Maryville College honor societies induct new members as 2024-25 academic year comes to a close
May 20, 2025
There are no Greek life organizations on the Maryville College campus, but several graduates at the Commencement ceremony closing out the 2024-25 academic year wore cords and stoles adorned with Greek letters.
The difference, however, is that those letters denote membership in the College’s seven academic honor societies, all of which are identified by Greek nomenclature, all of them recognizing excellence in the classroom rather than the fraternity house.
As the academic year came to an end, six of the College’s seven honor societies held induction ceremonies, adding to the membership rolls of affiliate national organizations that are dedicated to scholarship and academic achievement among various populations and areas of study. (Alpha Sigma Lambda, the honor society for nontraditional students, inducted no new members during the recent academic year.)
“Maryville College is proud to house chapters of a number of national academic honor societies,” said Dr. Liz Perry-Sizemore, vice president and dean of the College. “Some honor students for exceptional performance in a particular discipline, while membership in others is reserved for students whose achievement is more broad-based.
“Membership in these societies speaks to our students’ hard work and high achievement. We are exceptionally proud of the students who were already members of these honor societies and the additional students who were inducted into them this year.”
Some ceremonies were small, intimate affairs with only a handful of members; others were large-batch initiations that featured a dozen or more new members and receptions to honor them. All, however, bestowed upon senior inductees (and seniors who were already members) the cords and additional graduation regalia worn during the College’s May 3 Commencement ceremony.
Organizations and their new members include:
Alpha Gamma Sigma
Designed to “encourage thorough scholarship and to stimulate interest in cultural pursuits among students of the College,” newly inducted members of AGS were: Reese Bailey ’25, a Biochemistry major from Brentwood, Tennessee; Caelin Cole ’25, an Exercise Science major from Powell, Tennessee; Landry Frisch ’25, a Marketing major from Powell, Tennessee; Macey Harbin ’25, an Elementary Education major from Maryville; Andrew Hastings ’25, a Theatre Studies major from Sevierville, Tennessee; Ryley Huskey ’25, a History (with licensure) major from Maryville; Julia Jeffress ’25, an English major from Johnson City, Tennessee; Anna Kasemir ’25, a Sociology major from Oak Ridge; Meghan Kimbirl ’25, a Psychology major from Belmont, North Carolina; Wade Mathews ’25, a Political Science and History double major from Lebanon, Tennessee; Grace McDonald ’25, a Biology major from Athens, Tennessee; Gabbie Noonan ’25, a Health and Wellness Promotion major from St. Louis; Cheyenne Blevins Patterson ’25, an American Sign Language (ASL)-English Intrepreting major from Cleveland, Tennessee; Hannah Phillips ’25, a Biology major from Maryville; Kaylee Savell ’25, a Criminal Justice major; Elizabeth Shwaiko ’25, an ASL-English Interpreting major from Salinas, California; and Chase Wells ’25, a Philosophy major from Dexter, Missouri.
Alpha Psi Omega
The national theater honor society, Alpha Psi Omega membership requires at least two semesters of participation in theater work, as well as involvement in stage productions mounted by the College’s Theatre Department. New members include Reid Goad ’28, a Theatre Studies major from Knoxville; Rayna Welsch ’28, a Marketing major from Maryville; Megan Cooper ’26, an English major from Powell; McKenna Marr ’28, a Writing/Communication major from Jonesborough, Tennessee; Kat Wilson ’28 of Cookeville, Tennessee; Jada Greenlee ’28 of Jonesborough; and Clara Webster ’26, a Political Science major from Loudon, Tennessee.
Kappa Delta Pi
The education honor society for aspiring teachers, which requires completion of at least six hours of education courses and a minimum GPA of 3.0, held its induction on April 25 at the Chilhowee Club in Maryville. New members include: Miranda Parkhill ’27 of Knoxville; Eva Blankenship ’27 of Louisville, Tennessee; Makenna Canon ’28 of Greenback, Tennessee; Arianna Deel ’28 of South Charleston, West Virginia; Riley Burress ’27 of Louisville; Laura Diamond ’26 of Maryville; Sam Goins ’26 of Maryville; and Stephanie Holt ’26 of Lenoir City, Tennessee.
Phi Alpha Theta
The College’s Alpha-Mu-Psi chapter of the national honor society in history welcomed eight new members this academic year, including Adrian Pierce ’25 of Oregon, Illinois, pursuing an individualized major; Sam Goins ’26, also initiated into Kappa Delta Pi and a History (with licensure) major; Trey Clark ’26, a History major from Maryville; Matthew McCurry ’27 of Lenoir City; Emberson Federico ’25, a History (with licensure) major from Chattanooga, Tennessee; Alden Sundstrom ’27, a History major from Chattanooga; Edie Laboube ’27, a History major from Lebanon; and Alyza Handley, a History major from Kellogg, Idaho.
Psi Chi
Psi Chi undergrads are required to have a cumulative GPA that ranks them in the top 35% of their class, and new members who met that litmus test and were recently inducted into the international honor society of psychology include: John Andrews ’25, a Psychology (Counseling track) major from Alcoa; Esme Arreaga ’26, a Psychology major from Chattanooga; Zella Belcher ’27 of Maryville; Justice Breazeale ’26, a Psychology major from Alcoa; Avery Brown ’26, an Exercise Science major from Cookeville; Haley Daugherty ’26, a Psychology (Counseling track) major from Knoxville; Colin Dunworth ’26, a Psychology (Counseling track) major from Nolensville, Tennessee; Morgan Gilmer’26 of Knoxville; Joseph Hylwa ’25, a Health and Wellness Promotion major from Knoxville; Rebecca Johnson ’26, a Developmental Psychology (Child Trauma and Resilience track) major from Maryville; Aryssa Kelsey ’26, a Psychology major from Townsend, Tennessee; Emily Maples ’26 of Sevierville; Olivia Matthews ’27, a Psychology major from Jamestown, Tennessee; Cheyenne Patterson ’25, also inducted into Alpha Gamma Sigma; Maryn Pope ’26, a Management major from Maryville; Ella-Marie Reyes ’27 of Knoxville; Sami Sasinouski ’26, a Neuroscience major from Knoxville; Reagan Schultz ’27, an ASL-English Interpreting major from Chattanooga; and Katelin Walker ’26, a Developmental Psychology (Relationship and Sexual Health track) major from Cookeville.
Sigma Tau Delta
Two new members inducted into Maryville College’s Alpha Rho Kappa chapter of the international English honor society for the 2024-25 academic year were Samantha Swann ’26, an English major from Walland, Tennessee; and Austin McKee ’26, a Writing/Communication and Sociology double major from Vonore, Tennessee.
