Honors Program

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Honors Program Alumni

Elizabethtown College Honors Program Alumni, we want to hear from you!

Honors Program Alumni Awards Nomination Form
Please complete the linked form for a nominee or self-nomination. The Honors Connections Alumni Board will deliberate and choose the winners based on the information submitted from this form.

Nominations are due by August 31. For any questions, please email honors@etown.edu.

The Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes the achievements of Honors Program alumni that, within 10 years of their graduation, have demonstrated significant achievements, evidence of leadership, and exhibit the College/Honors Program ideals.

The Honors Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes alumni of the Honors Program that have displayed an impact on the College or Honors Program, an embodiment of the College’s and Honors Program’s ideals, and have achieved notable success in their career or community.

Share Your Post-graduation Experience, Successes, or Advice
Stories may be shared as news items for social media, Honors Report newsletter testimonials, Honors Program website alumni profiles, or virtual workshops and info sessions.

Become a Member of Honors Program Alumni LinkedIn Group
Students and alumni may join the Elizabethtown College Honors Program page on LinkedIn. The group serves as a resource to help the Honors Program community of students and alumni get connected.

Alumni Giving Back and Service Opportunities
Alumni support is critical to the future of Etown Honors Program. Here are some ways you can help:

Speak on a professional panel
Mentor a current Honors student
Nominate an alumnus/na for the Annual Outstanding Honors Alumni Award
Join the growing number of alumni donors

Please indicate your interest for providing service to the Honors Program by submitting this form. The Elizabethtown College Honors Program will reach out to you upon completion of this form.

Honors Connections Alumni Board

The Honors Connections Alumni Board comprises of five to seven Honors Alumni and the Director of the Honors Program. The Honors Program Alumni members of the Board volunteer to serve a 1-, 2-, or 3-year tiered terms, sharing their time and talent, working directly with the Honors Program Director and staff, committed to the Honors Program realizing its motto, Learn, Serve, and Lead, and helping develop student mentorship, alumni-student networking, and fundraising opportunities throughout the year.

The mission of the Honors Connections Alumni Board is to foster mentoring relationships between Honors students and alumni and help Honors students in their chosen academic concentration and professional aspirations. The Honors Connections Alumni Board also helps keep strong the relationships Honors alumni nurtured with Honors faculty, staff, and other Honors alumni through organizing a Homecoming event for the Honors Program.

The Board convenes twice a year (once a semester) through meetings held via Zoom to deliberate on the ways Honors students can connect with Honors alumni, ideas for enhancing the Honors community, and suggestions for supporting the Honors co-curricular opportunities on community engagement, service, and leadership. Board members demonstrate leadership and commitment to the College through their advice and counsel of the Honors Program Director and staff, mentorship of current students, sponsoring internships, and through personal philanthropy.

Board members demonstrate commitment to the Program through their advice and counsel of the Honors Program Director and staff, mentorship of current students, by sponsoring panels and discussions where they share their expertise with our current students, building connections with our alumni network, supporting development, marketing, and outreach initiatives, and offering leadership and community connections/ engagement projects for them, including service opportunities and internships. In its Spring meeting, the Honors Connections Alumni Board decides on the Honors Alumni who will receive the Annual Outstanding Honors Alumni Award.

Matt Butera '12

Board President

I graduated from the Elizabethtown Honors Program in 2012 with a degree in Actuarial Science and Economics. I currently work as a Client Manager at Conrad SIegel, a Harrisburg-area actuarial consulting firm. I also have attained a CEBS (Certified Employee Benefit Specialist) certification. During my time at Etown I served as Honors Council President, Peer Mentor, and intramural captain of various sports. I also worked in the Admissions Office as a tour guide and tutored in the math lab. I studied abroad in Galway, Ireland in the spring semester of my sophomore year. All of these experiences directly influence who I am and the work I do today. I see my current job as a way for me to apply what I have learned during my time at Etown to help those around me in my community. I am excited to volunteer on the Connections Board to build community between Etown's great students and their successful graduates.

Darci Ott '23

Social Media Coordinator

I'm Darci, class of 2023, and am so excited to serve on the Honors Connections Alumni Board. I majored in Biotechnology and minored in Psychology and Studio Art. As a recent graduate, I can appreciate how Etown contributed to my current success in graduate school at the University of Utah where I study Microbiology in a Ph.D. program. While at Etown, I served on the Honors Council for four years and acted as President for my final year, and one of my favorite experiences was creating the Homecoming Parade float! I was also involved in the Peer Mentor program and absolutely loved getting to interact and aid others throughout my years at Etown. I hope to continue that outreach and support during this opportunity, and can't wait to hear from current students.

Amanda McCaffrey '14

Member at Large

I graduated from Etown in 2014 with a B.A. in Sociology-Anthropology, concentration in Archaeology, and minors in Biology, History, and International Studies. I served as Vice President, and briefly President of the Honors Council, and also worked for the Office of Admissions and Office of Student Activities. I conducted original research for both my International Studies Capstone and my Honors in the Discipline/Honors Program thesis, which certainly prepared me for my graduate studies at Binghamton University. After earning my M.A. in Anthropology in 2016, I returned home to South Jersey, where I have served as a high school Biology and Forensic Science teacher, as well as an adjunct professor of Anthropology since 2017. I love that Etown was always a place where I could explore my many interests, and being a member of the Honors Program prepared me to not only be a participant, but a leader in all facets of my life. I am so excited to be involved in this new chapter of the program and hope to be a valuable part of the Honors Program Alumni network!

Kristin Vines '15

Member at Large

Kristin Vines (Class of 2015) double majored in social work and religious studies at Elizabethtown College before obtaining a Masters of Social Service (MSW Equivalent) degree at Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. She is a licensed clinical social worker and works with solid organ transplant patients at Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center. She also holds the Certified Clinical Transplant Social Worker certification. She loved her time at Etown College so much that she is now an Etown resident and loves being able to stay connected as a Blue Jay. She loves reading, running, and spending time with her cat Ricky.

Rustin Dudley '14

Member at Large

Rustin Dudley '14 graduated with a Bachelor's in Social Work from Elizabethtown College before earning Master of Science in Social Work and Master of Public Affairs degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. After graduate school, she spent five years working as a health and human services budget analyst for the Texas Legislative Budget Board. She currently serves as a Forecasting Deputy Director at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Alissa Stoneking '20

Alissa Stoneking graduated in 2020 from Etown with a B.A. in political science, also studying German and minoring in International Studies. She remained at Etown to complete her Master of Public Policy in 2021. In addition to being a member of the Honors Program, she worked for the Office of Admissions as a tour guide, was a member of the mock trial team, and studied abroad in Vienna, Austria and Marburg, Germany. After she graduated, she completed a Presidential Management Fellowship with a Federal agency. She continues to work at the agency as a Health Insurance Specialist and is currently pursuing a law degree at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She is excited for the opportunity to continue to be involved in the Honors Program.

Dr. Oya Dursun-Ozkanca

Honors Program Director

dursuno@etown.edu | 717-361-4749

Luke Mackey

Honors Program Assistant Director

mackeyl@etown.edu or honors@etown.edu | 717-361-3758.