In 1984, the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation awarded its first scholarships. Three recipients were selected – one undergraduate member, one graduate member, and one member continuing their education. We followed up with two of these recipients: Joyce Grabher Twardock, Sigma–Illinois, and Barbara Landers Salvatore, Epsilon Eta–Mississippi State.

Joyce was a senior studying speech and hearing science when she received her award, and Barbara had just started her first year of graduate school at John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Keep reading to find out where they are now!

It’s been 39 years since you received your Foundation scholarship. What has your career path looked like since completing your education? And what are you up to now?

Joyce: Following my undergraduate work, I continued into a master’s program in speech-language pathology with a teaching assistantship in the Speech and Hearing Department at the University of Illinois. I graduated in May 1987 and moved to the Chicago area and began working in the schools. Over the years, I moved to various public and private schools, focusing primarily on early childhood education. I worked with a variety of special needs students focusing on early communication and relational skills trying to improve their language and social communication. I also worked at various private clinics in the evenings supporting families and their children. I was fortunate to work on numerous teams with wonderful teachers and therapists, so I was able to continue to learn and grow in the profession throughout my career.

I have lived primarily in the Chicagoland area with a few years living and working in Oregon. My husband took a teaching position in Portland, so we moved to the west coast for two years. I continued to work as a speech-language therapist until our daughter was born. Then, we moved back to Lake County, Illinois where our son was born. We are now empty nesters as our daughter took a job in the Washington D.C. area and our son is finishing his undergraduate work at Minnesota this May. I actually just retired in May 2022. Currently, I am enjoying reconnecting with friends and family, volunteering, traveling, and pursuing new hobbies and interests.

Barbara: My first year of grad school was in Bologna, Italy, and my second year in Washington, D.C. Living a year overseas, learning a new language, and having international students and professors to interact with added as much to my education as the classes themselves. Then in the summer, I was fortunate to attend a summer school session at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. After finishing my master’s degree in international economics and east/west studies back in D.C., I began a 30-year career in the US Intelligence Community. It was an amazing ride filled with crazy opportunities that I would never have dreamed of.

I met my husband Pete at work, and we’ve been married for 27 years. We live in the Maryland suburbs of D.C.

Do you remember when you found out you had received a Foundation scholarship? What was that like?

Joyce: I remember feeling very happy and excited to receive the scholarship. It meant a lot to be recognized as a young adult and I felt very honored to receive it.

Barbara: I was so excited when I found out about the scholarship!  I had been accepted to Johns Hopkins and another prestigious university but didn’t know how I’d be able to afford going. I don’t know that I would have been able to go to Hopkins without the Foundation’s support.

How did receiving a Foundation scholarship impact your educational experience?

Joyce: The scholarship allowed me to continue living in the sorority house and helped ease the stress of paying for college. In addition, it increased my confidence which then gave me a jump start to face new challenges in graduate school and take more risks in tackling other academic and personal opportunities that arose.

Barbara: The Foundation really changed the course of my life. A master’s degree from anywhere is capable, but to attend one of the top international studies universities and the added opportunities provided by living and studying abroad most definitely added to my marketability. My first job interview was when a CIA recruiter came to Johns Hopkins, and the rest, as they say, is history.

What do you like to do for fun?

Joyce: My husband and I love hiking and camping and are planning some adventures to various national parks once he retires in 2024. We bought a camper during Covid and are planning some longer cross-country trips out east and then back to the west coast within the next few years. I enjoy playing pickleball, creating with fused glass, playing mahjong, and discussing books over a glass of wine. My very first book club I joined in my 20’s was with other ADPi sisters!

Barbara:  My husband and I love going to the theater and to the symphony. I love gardening, reading, and traveling when we can. Also, I love baseball!

How have you stayed connected with Alpha Delta Pi as an alumna?

Joyce: I grew up in Champaign and still go back frequently to visit my mom who lives there. I like to visit the house on football weekends with groups of sorority sisters. We enjoy cheering the teams on at the football and basketball games.  I continue to stay in touch with various ADPi friends that live in the area, and we catch up over a lunch or dinner. Our stories we share have changed over the years, but the connections that we started at the sorority have remained all these years.

Barbara: I am not a huge fan of social media, but it has been wonderful for keeping up with my ADPi sisters. 

What advice do you have for ADPi members considering applying for Foundation scholarships?

Joyce: If you have been involved with various academic and extracurricular pursuits, it’s a great opportunity to share your accomplishments.

Barbara: My advice is “go for it!” Explore every opportunity that can help you achieve your life goals. 

What would you like to say to the Alpha Delta Pi sisters and their family and friends who have helped fund Foundation scholarships like the one you received in 1984?

Joyce: A huge thank you to all those who have supported these scholarships! It is an important way to have a great impact on a sister’s educational experience. It can open doors that can lead to so many other opportunities that will then impact others – a positive link in the ADPi chain.

Barbara: I’d like to thank the sisters who helped establish the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation and to all who have supported it through the years. It’s one of my favorite organizations to support financially, and I will do so for the rest of my life.

We’ve come a long way since those very first Foundation scholarships in 1984! Last year, the Alpha Delta Pi Foundation awarded more than $300,000 in academic scholarships, and we plan to award even more this year. For more information and to apply, please visit www.alphadeltapi.org/scholarships. All application materials, including references, are due March 1 at 11:59 p.m. EST.