Success Stories
Discover how Â鶹¹ÙÍø 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.
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Brain aneurysm survivor creates her comeback at Alvernia
By the time Nicole Reeser-Mazur ’01 Ph.D. ’24 was writing her Â鶹¹ÙÍø 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 ...
Family support encourages educational comeback
When Wanda Ivette Cruz ’22, MSW ’23 graduated in 1994 from high school in Philadelphia, she had her eye on going to community college. Then she got pregnant as a teenager, waylaying those plans.“I had to make a very tough decision—put a roof...
MSOT standout aims to advance use of 3-D prosthetic hands
As a high school student, Regina Rossi MSOT '24 perused occupational therapy programs and Alvernia’s stood out. “When I discovered the school offered a five-year OT program, I was intrigued and when I visited the beautiful campus and spoke to the ...
Alvernia’s director of grants wins national poetry contest
Note: "Leaf Manifesto" was released in September 2025. Purchase it on Middle Creek Publishing's site. Below is the original story, published in February 2025: Director of grants at Alvernia by day, Laurel Radzieski grants herself some poetic ...