We have conferred degrees on healthcare professionals since our first commencement in 1922 as the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry (PSCO). Over the years the name of our institution may have changed, but the excitement and anticipation of commencement day has remained the same.

This is a day of great pride for our graduates as well as their families and friends. The faculty and staff of Salus University are proud of what our graduates have achieved during their time with us and hope you will join us in this celebration of their achievements. Congratulations to the families and friends of the Class of 2025 for your ever-important, unheralded support of your graduate. Congratulations to the Class of 2025! We are proud of what each of you has accomplished. 

Honors & Achievements

Pennsylvania College of Optometry

Awards

Alumni Association Award Optometry Accelerated Scholars Program

  • Claire C. Chu 

Alumni Association Award Optometry Traditional Program

  • Cassandra Jo Thomas 

Dr. John E. and Ethel M. Crozier Memorial Award

  • Cassandra Jo Thomas 

Good-Lite Pediatric Award

  • Felicia Marie Cicco 

Clinical Excellence Award

  • Suite 1: Noah John Schneider 
  • Suite 2: Alexander Nam Ho
  • Suite 3: Megan Michelle Patterson
  • Vision Rehabilitation: Samantha Ann Tubolino 
  • Pediatrics: Jacob W. Heffelfinger
  • Accelerated Scholars: Claire C. Chu 

Optometric Vision Development and Rehabilitation Award (formerly COVD)

  • Brianna Joyce Hairston 

Dr. Arthur Shlaifer Memorial Award

  • Megan Michelle Patterson

Eshenbach Award for Excellence in Low Vision

  • Alexander Nam Ho 

Noir Low Vision Award

  • Abby Lauren Williams 

Beta Sigma Kappa Award

  • Claire C. Chu 

Blanchard Contact Lens Excellence Award

  • Alexander Daniel Kirn 
  • Megan Michelle Patterson 

GP Contact Lens Clinical Excellence Award

  • Claire C. Chu 

Conforma Laboratories Award

  • Sharon S. Davila Solorzano 
  • Lauren Marie Pote 
  • Noah John Schneider
  • Sidney Rose Swindell 
  • Cheryl H.S. Thimothi
  • Ryan William Walchuk 

Pediatrics and Binocular Vision Service: Award for Excellence

  • Megan Michelle Patterson 

Dr. & Mrs. H.C. Verma Award

  • Dominica Yayra Dzakah 

The I. William Collins, OD, FAAO Award for Achieving Excellence in the Study of Contact Lens Science Award

  • Megan Michelle Patterson
  • Claire C. Chu

Graduation with Honors

Summa Cum Laude

  • Claire C. Chu
  • Abby Lauren Williams 
  • Chaya-Mouchka Hasis
  • Alexander Daniel Kirn 
  • Megan Michelle Patterson 

Magna Cum Laude

  • Sidney Rose Swindell 
  • Jacob W. Heffelfinger 
  • Lauren Marie Pote 

Cum Laude

  • James Han
  • Hanan Mdeway
  • Dristi Bhandari
  • Brooke Elizabeth Calle
  • Maleiah Lashon Carroll
  • Carley Kay Coleman
  • Sarah Elizabeth Edwards
  • Alexander Nam Ho
  • Faustina Nguyen
  • Gregory Anthony Patrizio
  • Catherine M. Pusateri

Adornments

Beta Sigma Kappa

  • Zarin Anjum
  • Claire C. Chu
  • Brianna Joyce Hairston
  • Alexander Daniel Kirn
  • Megan Michelle Patterson
  • Lauren Marie Pote
  • Corey D. Ryan
  • Cassandra Jo Thomas
  • Alexa Vardiman
  • Binbin Xie

 Gold Key International Optometric Honor Society

  • Charnjot Kaur Bassi
  • Brooke Elizabeth Calle
  • Elle Lee Cornman
  • Carley Kay Coleman
  • Megan Marie Cruce
  • Anna Elizabeth Eby
  • Bonnie Sze Yung Foo
  • Alexander Daniel Kirn
  • Faustina Nguyen
  • Megan Michelle Patterson
  • Jasmine Quintana Avila 
College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation

Awards

Alumni Association Award Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Program
  • Clarissa Beck
  • Madison Christine Casey
  • Jenna Goldberg
  • Emily Sarah Higgins
  • Madelyn Morris

Speech-Language Pathology Outstanding Leadership Award

  • Hailey Susan Wreath

Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Excellence Award

  • Ian Thomas Sparks

Occupational Therapy Outstanding Leadership Award

  • Emily J. Butterworth
  • Caitlin Marie Hammerstein
  • Kristina Westervelt

Occupational Therapy Excellence in Scholarship Award

  • Jessica Martelli
  • Dhruvi Navin Patel
  • Rebecca Pierce

Occupational Therapy Superior Professionalism Award

  • Madison Nix
  • Lauren Elizabeth Poli
  • Julia Vietti

Occupational Therapy Clinical Excellence Award

  • Jacob R Hardnock
  • Julianna Olivia Herff
  • Olivia Jayne Leber
  • Julia Anne Marotta
  • Jordyn Barbara Pekala
  • Emily Weidner

Occupational Therapy Service to the Community Award

  • Alyssa Sharon Angelaccio
  • Jenna Marie Carter
  • Katie M. Roche
  • Julia Starace

Alumni Association Award Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program

  • Carrie Beth Punger

Orthotics and Prosthetics Excellence in Scholarship Award

  • Molly B. Luckinbill

Orthotics and Prosthetics Superior Professionalism Award

  • Stephanie M. Maltez
  • Amber Alice Lewis

Orthotics and Prosthetics Clinical Excellence Award
  • Isabelle M. Mugnier
  • Casey Leigh Evans 

Orthotics and Prosthetics Service to the Community Award 
  • Victoria Page 

Orthotics and Prosthetics Quiet Confidence Award 

  • Nicholas S. Ruppenthal
  • Antonio Butler

Alumni Association Award Master of Science in the Orthotics and Prosthetics Program

  • Casey Leigh Evans
  • Molly B. Luckinbill

Graduation with Honors

Summa Cum Laude - Speech-Language Pathology

  • Danyelle Alexis Adelman
  • Clarissa Beck
  • Madison Christine Casey
  • Amanda Emalee Cirone
  • Shaelie Huffaker Davidson
  • Elizabeth Eisele
  • Carly Ann Flanagan
  • Julia Valerie Gamarnik
  • Madalynne Paige Geib
  • Eliana Jasmine George
  • Jenna Goldberg
  • Jocelyn Paige Govannicci
  • Emily Sarah Higgins
  • Carly Nicole Johnson
  • Madelyn Morris
  • Kacie M. Nankerville
  • Deanna Marie Pernice
  • Lauren Carey Rosztoczy
  • Angela Theresa Saliola
  • Caroline Shaefer
  • Kathryn Sigafoos
  • Ian Thomas Sparks
  • Julia S. Szewczyk
  • Samantha Mae Varano

Summa Cum Laude - Occupational Therapy

  • Emilie Suzanne Klingman
  • Carrie Beth Punger

Summa Cum Laude - Orthotics and Prosthetics 

  • Casey Leigh Evans
  • Molly B. Luckinbill
  • Isabelle M. Mugnier
  • Victoria Page

Magna Cum Laude - Speech-Language Pathology

  • Sarah Grace Bonomo
  • Jessica Rose Buckwalter
  • Jaylene Fermin
  • Olivia Jill Himmelstein
  • Caitlyn Marie Kemp
  • Kathryn Rose Leinenbach
  • Francesca Rose Lucchesi
  • Nicole Alexa Miller
  • Casey Elizabeth Reilly
  • Jamie Reilly
  • Adina Rom
  • Aliza Jordyn Stepansky
  • Hailey Susan Wreath

Magna Cum Laude - Orthotics and Prosthetics

  • Amber Alice Lewis

Cum Laude - Speech-Language Pathology 

  • Mackenzie Haley
  • Julia Tempestini
  • Haley Eve Tevnan

Cum Laude - Orthotics and Prosthetics

  • Stephanie M. Maltez
  • Nicholas S. Ruppenthal


Osborne College of Audiology

Awards

Alumni Association Award Audiology Program

  • Wing Yan
  • Teresa Laura Cole 
  • Rahi Patel 
  • Lin Lin 

Student Academy of Audiology George S. Osborne Service Award

  • Abigail Susanna Ramsaroop
  • Kerry Eileen McGovern

Victor Hugo Bray Fourth Year Clinical Excellence Award

  • Kerry Eileen McGovern

Graduation with Honors

Summa Cum Laude

  • Eddie Y. Díaz Serrano
  • Wing Yan
  • Teresa Laura Cole

Magna Cum Laude

  • Alexandra Jayne Levitt 
  • Kerry Eileen McGovern
  • Navpreet Kaur Grewal
  • Peyton Marie Provost
  • Abigail Susanna Ramsaroop

Cum Laude

  • Riley Jo Abernethy

Adornments

Alpha Upsilon Delta - Audiology National Honor Society 

  • Teresa Laura Cole
  • Eddie Y. Díaz Serrano
  • Wing Yan
Division of Global, Interprofessional, and Specialized Programming

Awards

Alumni Association Award Blindness and Low Vision Studies Program

  • Christine Brennan
  • Megan R. Encalada
  • Danielle Huber
  • Suzanne M. Kane-Filshill
  • Kelsey Lee Rodriguez


AmbuTech O&M Award

  • Christine Brennan
  • Megan R. Encalada
  • Danielle Huber
  • Kelsey Lee Rodriguez

Excellence in Direct Service Award

  • Danielle Huber

AVRT Excellence in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy

  • Suzanne M. Kane-Filshill

Dr. Audrey J. Smith/JVIB Award
  • Suzanne M. Kane-Filshill

Noir Low Vision Award

  • Stephen Rodriguez

Leadership Award

  • Poorvi Saxena

Graduation with Honors

Summa Cum Laude

  • Christine Brennan
  • Megan R. Encalada
  • Danielle Huber
  • Suzanne M. Kane-Filshill
  • Kelsey Lee Rodriguez

Magna Cum Laude

  • Erica Robinson

Cum Laude

  • Ohueri Benson Emeka
  • Stephen Rodriguez

Legacy Families

Gina DeFloria, ODT

  • Mary Petrunyak, OD '97 - Aunt

Alexander Kirn, ODT 

  • Daniel Kirn, OD '94, Residency '95 - Father 
  • Katherine Kirn, OD, Residency '95 - Mother 

Zakary Lake, ODT

  • Gary J. Lake, OD '89 - Father 

Mackenzie Libengood, ODT

  • Shale Beharie, OD '24 - Fiance 

Elizabeth Lyter, ODT

  • Audra (Warren) Sieber, OD '95 - Aunt 

Cole Pavlock, ODT

  • Chad Green, OD '97 - Unlce 
  • David Green, OD '66 - Grandfather 

Renee Pogrebneak, ODT 

  • Erin Curtis, OD '07 - Aunt 

Samantha Rutkoski, ODT 

  • Scott Rutkoski, OD '95 - Father 

Zuhair Syed, ODT 

  • Fazaluddin Hashmi, OD '15 - Cousin 

  • My-Hanh Trieu, OD '97 - Mother 

Elle Cornman, ODS 

  • Helga Steidle, OD '94

Angela Saliola, SLP 

  • Gina Saliola, MSOT '23 - Sister

Kathryn Sigafoos, SLP

  • Kaely Sigafoos, MS '20 - Sister 

Julia Marotta, OT 

  • Sonia Bassily, OD '97 - Mother 

Jordyn Pekala, OT 

  • Alyssa Dallmer, MS '24 - Cousin 

Megan Encalada, O&M

  • Jeri Carmichael, O&M Certificate '12 - Mother