College Credits: Local Student Helps Hurricane Victims During Break

PLAINFIELD, IL — We're keeping track of all the major higher education accomplishments of students in the area. Send your submissions to emily.rosca@patch.com.

Plainfield medical student receives white coat

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) welcomed its newest medical students, including Andres Gonzalez from Plainfield (60544), during ceremonies where members of the Class of 2026 received their first white coats.

The white coat ceremony is a medical school rite of passage that marks the official start of a student's medical education.

— Merit Page News

Student from Plainfield one of 200 to receive Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi award

Jerian Dixon-Evans of Plainfield, Illinois, was recently awarded a Love of Learning Award worth $500 from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Dixon-Evans is one of 200 recipients to receive the award.

Love of Learning Awards are designed to help fund post-baccalaureate professional development for active Phi Kappa Phi members including graduate or professional studies, doctoral dissertations, continuing education, travel related to teaching and research, career development and more.

Dixon-Evans, a clinical research associate at Northwestern University, will use funds from the award to complete a Ph.D. in health sciences at Northern Illinois University.

Dixon-Evans was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 2021 at Northern Illinois University.

— Merit Page News

Plainfield student serves hurricane victims during fall break

Fall break for college students is typically a time of rest and relaxation amid a busy semester. But for one group of Cedarville University students, fall break meant exactly the opposite, as they traveled to Florida to serve locals impacted by Hurricane Ian.

During Cedarville University's fall break, a group of 12 students drove more than 15 hours to Fort Myers, Florida, to clear debris from Hurricane Ian's devastating tear through the state.

Among the 12 students who participated was Ethan Kelly, of Plainfield.

"It was pretty heartbreaking to look around and see so many memories turned into what is now debris" said senior Chloe Metaxotos from Merrimack, New Hampshire. "It was truly fulfilling to help people in the name of Christ, while being there in their suffering and grieving. There was so much joy in that work."

The students were able to clear out four homes in all, spreading the love of Christ as they went. The group even went so far as to present each family they encountered with new Bibles, including one couple that had lost theirs in the storm.

— Merit Page News

Plainfield student graduates from Ohio University

Stoney Gillespie III from Plainfield, IL, graduated with a bachelor’s in Biological Sciences from The Ohio University's College of Arts and Sciences in summer 2022.

More than 1,700 students graduated with bachelor's, master's or doctorate degrees from Ohio University for summer semester 2022.

The graduates represented many areas of the United States and an abundance of countries, including Botswana, China, Ghana, Greece and Oman.

— Merit Page News

Andrew DiNaso named to dean's list at Biola University

Andrew DiNaso was named to Biola University's Dean's List for academic excellence.

DiNaso from Plainfield, IL, a Cinema and Media Arts major, was one of approximately 1,600 students who were named to the dean's list in spring 2022. Biola students are placed on the dean's list to honor those with a GPA of 3.6 or higher while enrolled in 12 or more credits and whose cumulative GPA is at least 3.2.

— Merit Page News

Student from Plainfield initiated into selective honor society

Rachel Kanady of Plainfield, Illinois, was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Kanady was initiated at the University of Kentucky.

Kanady is among approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

— Merit Page News

Palmer College of Chiropractic dean’s list includes Plainfield student

Valerie Moldovan of Plainfield, IL has been named to the summer 2022 trimester Dean's List at Palmer College of Chiropractic's Main Campus in Davenport, Iowa.

— Merit Page News

Joseph Kripp accepted for enrollment at Palmer College of Chiropractic

Joseph Kripp of Plainfield, IL has been accepted for enrollment for the fall 2022 trimester in the Doctor of Chiropractic degree program at Palmer College of Chiropractic's Main Campus in Davenport, Iowa.

— Merit Page News