New Paltz, NY -- The State University of New York at New Paltz gathered for the annual Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society ceremony Wednesday, recognizing student-athletes who have earned a varsity letter in at least one sport while maintaining a 3.4 or higher cumulative GPA throughout their junior and senior year. A total of 38 student-athletes were honored at the ceremony.
 
Seniors from the baseball and field hockey team's, Conor Donachie and Megan Gangewere, spoke at the event.
 
"It was a privilege to be invited into this society with some very smart and hard-working student-athletes," Donachie said. "It was an honor to be named the guest speaker. In my speech, I tried to capture the dedication that a student-athlete had to their sport and their studies, as well as the challenges."

Associate Dean of Enrollment Management for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and faculty athletics representative John Sharp emceed the event. He introduced both Donachie and Gangewere before speaking about each individual student-athlete recognized prior to them receiving their honorary certificate. 

Assistant Director of Athletics, Wellness and Recreation for Compliance Danielle Strauchler helped organize the event and gave a brief introduction to kick off the ceremony, congratulating each of the student-athlete's dedication and hard work in the classroom.

"The ceremony was a big success and our guest speakers, seniors Conor Donachie and Megan Gangewere did a fantastic job," Strauchler said. "Being inducted as a member of Chi Alpha Sigma is a real honor. It is no easy feat to maintain a 3.4 cumulative GPA in their junior and senior years. Classes become more difficult and the expectations of our student-athletes on the field, pool, and court become more intense as upperclassmen and leaders of their programs. This ceremony is a celebration of all their hard work. These thirty-eight student-athletes all truly encompass what it means to be a Division III student-athlete:  student first, and athlete second. We applaud them for their dedication in the classroom and congratulate them on achieving this honor."