Celebrating academic success: SEHD honors counselor education chair and ten students with Alpha Sigma Nu Induction.
Since its founding in 1942, Fairfield University has remained steadfast in its identity as a Jesuit and Catholic University. The University is committed to awarding its students an education in the liberal arts, sciences, and professions that will prepare them to lead their communities with insight, empathy, critical rigor, and a determination to serve and promote justice. Alpha Sigma Nu (ASN), the National Jesuit Honor Society, recognizes students and faculty that exemplify scholarship, loyalty, and service to the ideals of Jesuit higher education. Since the reactivation of Fairfield’s chapter in 1981, ASN has celebrated the academic success and Jesuit values of undergraduate and graduate students alike. Membership to Alpha Sigma Nu is highly sought after: only five percent of any undergraduate class can join and graduate membership is reserved for the top fifteen percent of their college, school, program, or department. Members from every corner of the University take pride in their involvement and work hard to exemplify the values of a Jesuit lifestyle. This year, the School of Education and Human Development was recognized for the success of its faculty and students.
Every year, Fairfield’s ASN chapter recognizes two faculty with Teacher of the Year awards — one undergraduate and one graduate — for their dedication to the teaching profession and for their support of students. This year, Dilani Perera, PhD, department chair and professor of the counselor education department in the School of Education and Human Development, was recognized as the graduate Alpha Sigma Nu Teacher of the Year.
Dean of the School of Education and Human Development Evelyn Bilias Lolis, PhD, commended Dr. Perera at the ceremony for having a “relentless commitment to her students, a reverence for the field of clinical mental health, and a dedication to preparing mental health clinicians with the highest caliber of professionalism, ethics, and sensitivity to the needs of a complex society.”
“I felt humbled and honored that a student took time out of their busy schedule to nominate me,” said Dr. Perera. The Teacher of the Year award is unique because it comes directly from the students. Dr. Perera’s commitment to her craft as a professor and to the success of her students is exemplified through this nomination.
Following the spring 2024 semester, in the fall, multiple counselor education and school psychology graduate students were recognized for both their academic success and their display of loyalty, service, and commitment to Jesuit educational ideals. For many students, induction into ASN is seen not only as an academic achievement but a personal accomplishment.
Matthew Roy, a school psychology student, does not take the honor lightly. As he works towards completing his internship year in the program, he aims to make a positive difference in his students’ lives through time spent in the classroom. His commitment to Jesuit ideals– scholarship, loyalty, and service– is part of what makes his work so fulfilling. “[This induction] is especially meaningful as a first-generation college student, as it highlights the dedication and effort I've put into my education over the past few years,” Roy said.
At Fairfield’s School of Education and Human Development, students and faculty alike are pushed to constantly be the best version of themselves not only as scholars but as members of a greater community. School psychology students and faculty are held to the same standards of cura personalis, often translated as “care of the whole person.” By developing and solidifying this theological foundation during their time at Fairfield SEHD, students and faculty leave our campus with a commitment to Jesuit ideals that will inform their careers as educators.
