Tuongvy Ha ’25 Awarded Trow Undergraduate Scholarship

SHERMAN, TEXAS — The Board of Directors of Alpha Lambda Delta announced on September 30, 2024, that Tuongvy Ha ’25 has been awarded a Jo Anne J. Trow Undergraduate Scholarship of $6000 for the 2024-25 academic year.

Ha is one of only five national recipients of the largest Trow Scholarships offered and is the first Austin College recipient of any Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD) award. She was inducted as a member of the honor society in November 2022, elected secretary in December 2022, and became president in spring 2024. Ha is majoring in neuroscience and serves as an undergraduate researcher in the College’s Psychology Department. She formerly worked as a Peer Health and Wellness Educator and as an intern in the Biomedical Informatics and Behavioral Sciences Research Program at Texas A&M School of Dentistry.

When asked about the impact of ALD membership, Ha said, “Alpha Lambda Delta has allowed me to integrate into a supportive community of scholars that provides a challenging yet highly motivating environment where I can actively contribute to cultivating a collaborative academic environment at Austin College. Through ALD’s social and service opportunities, I have formed close friendships and connections that have strengthened my social network and promoted access to invaluable opportunities that have facilitated my learning and growth.”

This year, Alpha Lambda Delta awarded 50 Trow scholarships to outstanding student members. The scholarships currently offer five $6000 awards, ten $3000 awards, ten $2000 awards, and twenty-five $1000 awards. Selection is based on academic achievements and records, participation in Alpha Lambda Delta activities, campus and community service activities, and the applicant’s essay answers.

The Jo Anne J. Trow Scholarship was started in 1988, in honor of a past president of Alpha Lambda Delta. Jo Anne J. Trow is the former Vice President for Student Services at Oregon State University. Trow served Alpha Lambda Delta as a district advisor from 1974 to 1979, as secretary from 1979 to 1983, as president-elect from 1984 to 1985, and as president from 1985 to 1988. During her presidency, the Society’s governing body, the Board of Directors, was restructured to provide more streamlined operations.

Alpha Lambda Delta is an honor society that recognizes students’ academic success in their first year at a college or university. Founded in 1924 and active on 280 campuses, Alpha Lambda Delta inducts 22,000 members annually and has over 1.3 million lifetime members. Alpha Lambda Delta’s mission is to encourage superior academic achievement, to promote intelligent living and a continued high standard of learning, and to assist students in recognizing and developing meaningful goals for their unique roles in society. Since 1939, Alpha Lambda Delta has been a certified member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS), the only national certifying body for collegiate honor societies.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, pre-professional foundations, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 44 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.