Success Stories

Success Stories

Discover how 鶹 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

鶹 DPT Graduate Aron Rodriguez

Lone wolf finds his pack at AU

At first, Aron Javier Rodriguez DPT’22 tried to “lone wolf it,” as he put it, at 鶹 while pursuing his dream of a doctorate in physical therapy.“I thought I could study hard, mind my own business,” said the 26-year-old, Bronx born...

  • College of Health Sciences
  • 2026
Shannon Qualters Commencement 2025

Addictions caused her to lose everything — perseverance helped her recover

By Lini S. KadabaWhen Shannon Qualters ’23, MAOL '25 hit bottom, the survivor of child sexual abuse was hooked on heroin and crack cocaine, living on the streets of the Kensington section of Philadelphia and eating out of garbage cans, by her own ...

  • College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences
  • 2026
Nicole Reesur-Mazur Comeback Campaign

Brain aneurysm survivor creates her comeback at Alvernia

By the time Nicole Reeser-Mazur ’01 Ph.D. ’24 was writing her 鶹 doctoral dissertation in educational leadership in 2023, she had already overcome more than her share of challenges, any one of which could have easily derailed her ...

  • 2026
Sonya comeback

Nursing passion drives educational comeback

Sonya's Comeback StoryCreate Your ComebackNearly three decades after earning her associate degree in nursing from Alvernia, Sonya Naugle ’25 returned to the classroom and proudly crossed the graduation stage again on May 10, 2025 — this time with ...

  • College of Health Sciences
  • 2026