From service to scholarship: USCA inducts newest Pi Alpha Sigma members

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 • Leslie Hull-Ryde
From left, Ali Samaha, Elenora Gazzelli, Sairielys Hernandez-Cruz, Irvon Malcom were among the students inducted into USCA’s Veterans Honor Society Pi Alpha Sigma. These four will be commissioned as U.S. Army second lieutenants during commencement May 6. USCA photo by Aurora Cervantez.
From left, Ali Samaha, Elenora Gazzelli, Sairielys Hernandez-Cruz, Irvon Malcom were among the students inducted into USCA’s Veterans Honor Society Pi Alpha Sigma. These four will be commissioned as U.S. Army second lieutenants during commencement May 6. USCA photo by Aurora Cervantez.

USCA’s Veterans Honor Society Pi Alpha Sigma inducted its newest members during a ceremony April 28 in the Etherredge Center.  

“Each of us here today have not just reached the finish line — we ran through it,” said Ian Chisholm, an Air Force veteran who is double majoring in mechanical and process engineering and spoke during the induction ceremony.  

“As I stand here in front of you, I am not only reminded of what you did to achieve this accomplishment, but what you didn’t do.  Everything you traded off, paused, or halted to see this mission through. I challenge each of you to take a moment to reflect and recognize those who have supported you along the way.  Make sure they know how much you appreciate their support in both the easy times and the tough ones.”  

Becoming a member of Pi Alpha Sigma is a culmination of hard work and academic excellence. The induction recognizes veterans, military service members, military spouses, and military family members who have exemplified outstanding academic achievement throughout their college careers. The Spring 2026 cohort includes more than 40 students who will graduate May 6 with a GPA of 3.0 or higher for undergraduates and at least a 3.25 for graduate students, two of whom earned a 4.0. 

“Today, we serve more than 500 veteran and military-connected students — a cohort that continues to expand each year. Out of 203 veteran and military students eligible for graduation in 2026, we are proud to celebrate the 25 percent graduating with honors,” said Tristan Stone, assistant director, Office of Veteran and Military Student Success. 

Students founded USCA’s Pi Alpha Sigma in 2014 with the goal of helping militarily connected students in their academic pursuits, recognize outstanding academic achievements, raise graduation rates among the military cohort, and cultivate a stronger sense of community. 

As they pursued their degrees, these students leveraged several Veterans Administration and Department of Defense programs to defray costs of tuition, allowing them to graduate with little to no financial obligation. Assistance for these students includes the VA’s GI Bill, DoD Tuition Assistance, the Nursing Enlisted Commissioning Program for active service members, and USCA’s Active Service Member Tuition Discount for undergraduate coursework. This year, Stone’s office processed more than 1,600 student VA GI Bill benefits to ensure students had the funds to pay for school, books, and housing. 

In addition to these programs, several community members have endowed scholarships for military-related students, including newly created programs for military spouses.   

These benefits allowed each inductee to focus on their academic achievements rather than spending their time trying to figure out the finances of degree completion.  

With a commitment to providing a high-quality education at an affordable cost, USCA offers tuition rates well below the national average. Approximately 30 percent of currently enrolled undergraduate students have full tuition covered by scholarships and grants. Around 40 percent of students in the last fiscal year graduating class who started at USCA as freshmen graduated with no student loans.  

“Pi Alpha Sigma’s signature phrase defines us: ‘Tomorrow’s Warriors of Wisdom.’ That phrase is not just a motto,” Stone said. “It acknowledges our sacrifice, honors our service, and challenges each of us to carry that same dedication forward through education and leadership.” 

This year, USCA once again earned the Military Friendly® “Gold” School designation and was ranked as the #7 Military Friendly Spouse School.

“The significance is seeing the national recognition for the hard work USCA puts forth to ensure our veteran and military student community has what they need for academic success,” said Robert Murphy, executive director of Military Affairs and External Programs at USCA.

“These students often have multiple factors that make completing their degree a little more challenging. Knowing this, the Veteran and Military Student Success Center team connects with and fosters a success mindset from the first day a military-connected student walks on campus,” Murphy said. 

Pi Alpha Sigma Spring 2026 Inductees 

  • Lee Anthony, U.S. Air Force Veteran, Biology
  • Lesley Barksdale, Military Family Member, Nursing
  • William “Seth” Bickford, Army National Guard, Applied Computer Science
  • James Burns, U.S. Army Veteran, Biology
  • Samantha Burns, U.S. Army Veteran, Applied Mathematics
  • Ian Chisholm, U.S. Air Force Veteran, Mechanical and Process Engineering
  • Kadin DeMesme, Military Family Member, Applied Computer Science
  • Alexis Eade, Military Spouse, Nursing
  • Michael “Mick” Foster, U.S. Navy Veteran & British Army Veteran, Environmental Earth Systems
  • Elenora Gazzelli, South Carolina Army National Guard (ROTC Cadet), Political Science
  • Breana Ginn, Military Family Member, Applied Mathematics
  • Edgar Gonzalez, U.S. Army Veteran, Applied Computer Science
  • Shelby Hanna, Military Family Member, Master of Business Administration
  • Rori Hanna, Military Family Member, Exercise and Sports Science
  • Sairielys Hernandez-Cruz, South Carolina Army National Guard (ROTC Cadet), Political Science
  • Lemar Jackson, U.S. Navy Veteran, Master of Business Administration
  • Irvon Malcolm, South Carolina Army National Guard (ROTC Cadet), Applied Computer Science
  • Reagan McCann, Military Family Member, Business Administration
  • Chelsea McCants, South Carolina Army National Guard, Elementary Education
  • Chantel McCollough, Military Spouse, Master of Business Administration
  • Ali Samaha, South Carolina Army National Guard Army National Guard (ROTC Cadet), Exercise and Sports Science
  • Katherine Santiago-Loaeza, U.S. Army Service Member, Business Administration
  • Gina Stone, Military Family Member, Nursing
  • Allainna Szilveszter, Military Family Member, Psychology
  • Shania Underwood, U.S. Army Veteran, Nursing  
  • Franklin Whiteside, U.S. Army Veteran, Mechanical Engineering
  • Bryn Williams, South Carolina Army National Guard (ROTC Cadet), Exercise and Sports Science
  • Laura Boquist, Military Spouse, Nursing
  • David Daniels, U.S. Army Veteran, Master of Business Administration
  • Paula Gant, Military Spouse, Master of Business Administration
  • Lauren Gross, Military Family Member, Nursing
  • Brian Hunt, U.S. Army Service Member, Master of Business Administration
  • Ashley Jenkins, Military Spouse, Nursing
  • Thomas Keays, U.S. Army Veteran Master of Business Administration
  • Danielle Kuzmanich, U.S. Navy Veteran, Master of Business Administration
  • Ja’Daiza Leigh, U.S. Air Force Service Member, Nursing
  • Katherine Pollock, U.S. Air Force Service Member, Nursing
  • Seth Thompson, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Master of Business Administration
  • James Turner, U.S. Air Force Veteran, Master of Business Administration
  • Andrea Walton, U.S. Air Force Service Member, Nursing
  • Tiffany Washington, U.S. Army Veteran, Nursing 
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