Penn State Law in University Park inducts newest members of Woolsack Honor Society

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Law in University Park inducted 18 third-year law students into the Woolsack Honor Society during a ceremony on April 27, 2021. The honor society recognizes students who place in the top 15 percent of their class following the fifth or sixth semester of study.

This year’s inductees are Nicolette Arapis, Lauren Brown, Caitlyn Edgell, Kira Geary, Connor Hartman, Agneta Hendershot, Kelly Henry, Parker Hudson, Jacob LaFreniere, Emily LaSpina, Mackenzie Moyer, William O'Bryan, Timothy Ososkie, Ariel Redfern, Ryan Reilly, Thomas Rickettson, Kelsi Robinson, and Adam Wage.

“We enthusiastically congratulate our 2021 Woolsack Honor Society inductees,” said Dr. Hari M. Osofsky, Dean of Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs, Distinguished Professor of Law, and Professor of International Affairs and Geography. “This is a major academic achievement at any time, and these students have maintained excellent academic record amid the layered challenges of the past year. We are so proud of all of our 2020 graduates for their resiliency, support for one another, and leadership.”

Each student was given the opportunity to introduce their guests—many of them proud parents and family members—who joined the ceremony remotely along with many Penn State Law faculty and staff to celebrate the students.

“I send heartfelt congratulations to the inductees. The significance of being recognized for this academic achievement cannot be overstated,” said Jill Engle, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Clinical Law at Penn State Law. “Particularly during this unprecedented time, accomplishing law school grades at the top of one’s class is truly an extraordinary accomplishment.”

The students will receive a Woolsack Honor Society notation on their transcript and will be listed in Penn State Law’s 2021 commencement program. Membership in the honor society is lifelong.

“Being selected for the Woolsack Society is a great honor, and the ceremony was a wonderful experience,” said Reilly, a Class of 2021 J.D. candidate. “It took a lot of hard work to get here, but I am extraordinarily grateful for the guidance and resources afforded to me by Penn State Law along the way.”

The Penn State Law Woolsack Honor Society was founded in 1920 to recognize students who have distinguished themselves academically. The Woolsack is a symbol of excellence borrowed from the British legal tradition; the name is derived from the large, wool-stuffed red cushion that has served as a seat for high-ranking British Parliament officers since the fourteenth century.