Parma's Joseph Massaroni Is First Graduate From Tri-C Honors Program Fellowship

Joseph Massaroni

Three semesters after enrolling at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), Joseph Massaroni became the College’s first Honors Program Fellowship recipient to earn a degree.

The Parma resident was awarded an Associate of Arts at Tri-C’s Fall Commencement on Thursday, December 17. The walk across the stage came a little more than a year after Massaroni was selected for the inaugural fellowship class.

The fellowship provides high-achieving high school graduates with scholarships covering tuition, fees and books. Students accepted into the scholarship program pledge to earn a degree from the College within two years.

Massaroni was one of 13 Honors Fellows who signed academic commitment letters with Tri-C in August 2014, when the program launched.

“As this group entered Cuyahoga Community College, we expected academic excellence and success,” said Herbert Mausser, assistant dean of Honors and Experiential Learning Programs. “Joe lived up to that expectation quickly.”

Massaroni, 20, chose Tri-C after graduating from Valley Forge High School in Parma Heights. He said the College offered an affordable way to begin his higher education journey while he decided on an area of study.

He intends to transfer to a four-year school in 2016 to begin work toward a bachelor’s degree in aerospace technology, anthropology or political science. He’s considering Cleveland State University and The Ohio State University.

“I didn’t want to go away to school and spend all that money right away while I was still unsure of my future career,” Massaroni said. “I have a lot of interests, so Tri-C gave me time to explore a variety of classes and figure things out.”

Massaroni made the most of his college experience, too, with involvement in student groups such as Philosophy Club, History Club, and the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network.

He spent most of his time at Tri-C’s Western Campus in Parma, but also took a class at Metropolitan Campus in Cleveland. College credits from Advanced Placement and Tech Prep classes in high school allowed him to graduate early.

“Tri-C helped me a lot and pushed me in the direction I want to go,” Massaroni said. “It gave me a solid base to build on.”

The College designed the Honors Program Fellowship to support student transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s and other advanced degrees. The fellowship places special emphasis on academic planning and mentoring by faculty members in an honors environment.

The fellowship class grew from 13 students in 2014 to 28 in 2015. The goal is to expand the program to up to 80 students a year. The scholarships are funded through donations to the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation.

For more information on the Honors Program Fellowship and eligibility requirements, contact Mausser at 216-987-4660 or herbert.mausser@tri-c.edu.

While Massaroni is the first Honors Fellow to earn an associate degree, he’ll soon have company as an alumnus. Another 11 students from the inaugural fellowship class are on pace to graduate within the two-year commitment period.

Massaroni, by the way, will join his successful classmates at Spring Commencement. The reason? He intends to enroll at Tri-C during spring semester to earn enough credits for a second degree, this one an Associate of Science.