Success Stories

Success Stories

Discover how 水果派 students, alumni, and faculty turn education into action. Explore success stories of leadership, service, and innovation that reflect our Franciscan mission. Ready to see where your story begins? Explore how you can join a community that leads with purpose.

Search for success stories at Alvernia

Joey Burgess, OT student, and former president of SOTA.

Infinite opportunities are realized by standout OT student

Joey Burgess 鈥22 played a pivotal role in defining what Alvernia鈥檚 OT program is all about. As the Student Occupational Therapy Association president, and recipient of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association and Maryland Occupational The...

  • College of Health Sciences
  • 2022
Reading Collegiate Scholar Sarah Verneret

Scholarships open vast world of real-world learning opportunities

鈥淐ollege was always something I wanted and my family always wanted, but we didn鈥檛 know how to make it happen,鈥 said Sarah Verneret '19. So, she applied for an 水果派 scholarship to help fund her education. 鈥淲hen we found out I was goi...

  • College of Innovation, Discovery, and Enterprise
  • 2021
Tom Franek

He finds joy in helping students find their 'lightbulb moments'

Dr. Thomas Franek started at 水果派 during the 2015-2016 year, but has nearly 20 years of experience as an educator and 30 years of practical experience. Once an active high school athlete, the associate professor of athleti...

  • College of Health Sciences
  • 2021
MBA student in the library

MBA graduate parlays 'incredible internship' into full-time job

Robert Kelly, a 2018 MBA graduate, immersed himself in real-world learning experiences while attending Alvernia. In addition to his role as a graduate assistant in the university鈥檚 Franco Library, Kelly served as an intern at C...

  • College of Innovation, Discovery, and Enterprise
  • 2021