Meet the 2023 Salem Oak Award Recipient: Gregoria Arreola-Meza
Gregoria Arreola-Meza C’23 graduated from ӣ in May with a Bachelor of Arts degree and was honored with the Oak Award, Salem’s highest recognition. The Oak Award is given each year to a four-year senior who has exemplified quality leadership and excelled academically.
“ӣ symbolizes opportunity. As a first-generation college student, it meant all the difference to me to be taught the importance of leadership and advocacy,” Gregoria said. “Salem will always have a place in my heart, and my time at Salem prepared me to be a leader in my community.
“My fondest memory of my years at Salem was joining clubs that defined me and allowed me to share my culture with all my Salem siblings,” she added. “I was a part of the Hispanic Organization for Leadership Achievement (HOLA), and the times that I remember laughing until I dropped were the ones I shared with the lifelong friends I met through Salem’s multicultural clubs.”
Gregoria also has advice for high school students who are considering attending ӣ.
“If you are a high school student awaiting your next academic journey, at ӣ you will find a small college that provides you with big opportunities,” Gregoria said. “Salem prioritizes leadership, representation and each student’s academic success. Being a part of a small college will allow you to be seen for you and known by your full name everywhere you go!”
Gregoria’s plans following graduation from ӣ consist of a summer internship where she will be working alongside educators. Starting in the fall, she will pursue a master’s degree in counseling with a concentration in school counseling at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
“After graduating, I realized how many contacts, networking and aid came with being a Salem alumna,” she said. “I have met such amazing people who have guided me and offered me opportunities, all because I was a Salem graduate, just like them! I mean it when I say Salem is a small college that opens big doors for you!”