Success Stories

Olivia is just getting started in her college track career, and she has already broken several SFU track records. Plus, she's getting a head start on her healthcare career as an undergraduate PA student in the Accelerated Early-Entry (3+2) MPAS program.

Ed.D. Candidate Erin Riggi is embracing the Power of And. Erin is a devoted Italian Catholic mother, a studio instructor and art history teacher, a painter and ceramist, and now, thanks to insights gained through her graduate work, she is adding "leader" to her list of accomplishments.

Abrielle Brown, a junior Biology/Pre-med major, active in Student Government and Greek Life, shares how small acts of service make a big impact.

Emerging healthcare professional Alexis Marcotte is a dedicated Honors scholar, a curious global explorer, and a voice for compassionate health care. Her Honors Thesis investigated factors that influence quality of life in skilled nursing facilities, inspired by her work in a nursing home.

Balancing roles in several student advocacy groups and SFU's track team, Honors student Jayden Foster is making the most of his Saint Francis experience—embracing wellness, leadership, and learning as he prepares for a future in Public Health.

Dr. Joel Bandstra helped Sarah Hartwell, an SFU Environmental Engineering rising senior, secure an internship with an environmental geochemistry firm, Mineralogic, in Duluth, MN. Throughout the summer, Sarah built upon skills she learned at SFU, such as coding with Python, PHREEQC, and R Studio, while gaining new experiences working with software such as PowerBI and researching rules and regulations in Minnesota.

SFU sophomore Thomas Grove earned the university’s first DoD Cyber Service Academy scholarship. The award covers two years of tuition and includes a guaranteed federal job after graduation. It highlights both Thomas’s achievements and the strength of SFU’s Cybersecurity program.

Cole Weiland, a third-year Chemistry major at Saint Francis University, has thrived in the Honors Program through hands-on research in cytochrome c oxidation and acid mine drainage remediation. As SGA president and an Eagle Scout, he’s also led campus initiatives and maintained strong community ties. Looking ahead to medical school, he values the mentorship and opportunities the program has provided.

From student-athlete to emerging business professional and Army officer, 2nd Lt. Erika Ellison is a Saint Francis University graduate whose career journey is rooted in discipline, ambition, and a desire to serve. A native of Washington State, Erika came to SFU to play lacrosse—and left five years later with not only two degrees but also a clear sense of direction.

Fiaunna Bertha, a 40-year-old mother of two and traveling surgical technologist from Philadelphia, is set to graduate this May with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Healthcare Studies from Saint Francis University. Driven to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant (PA), she has embarked on a challenging educational journey that started online and eventually brought her to attend classes in Loretto to meet her lofty goals.