Galloway, N.J. — Two Stockton University students received the Arcuri Wharton Pre-Law Fund Award on April 24 during the annual Political Science Spring Reception.

Junior Grace Hatzel, of Riverdale, is a Political Science major and Philosophy minor. Hatzel is also enrolled in the Honors Program where she serves as a Peer Mentor to welcome incoming students and to ensure they have the resources needed to succeed. Last fall, Hatzel interned with the law office of Melissa Rosenblum, a criminal defense attorney in Atlantic City. Hatzel is also a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Honor Society, and Phi Sigma Tau, the Philosophy Honor Society.

Hatzel’s motivation for attending law school is to advocate for people who have been underserved by the health care system in the United States.

“Protecting others from exploitation is important to me because I have seen firsthand what can be done to those who are just trying to survive their daily lives,” she said.

The second winner is junior Alicja Schleyer, of Hammonton. Schleyer is a Political Science major with minors in Economics and Historical Studies. She is also enrolled in the Honors Program and is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Honor Society.

Schleyer has served as vice president of Stockton University's mock trial team since May 2025. During the fall 2025 semester, Schleyer interned at the A. Harold Kokes Law Office in Pleasantville. Since November 2025, she has also served as a research assistant to Stockton Economics Professor Ramya Vijaya. In this position, she researched national and regional political attitudes toward immigrants.

Schleyer wants to pursue law school to advocate for survivors of intimate partner violence. She hopes to offer empathy, expertise and resources to people who experience similar situations.

“A law degree will provide me with the knowledge to help domestic violence victims. I’ve seen firsthand how stressful navigating the legal system can be during such a vulnerable time in someone’s life,” she said.

Both students will be paired with alumni mentors. Hatzel’s mentor will be Ashley Finney-Wortman ’21, who graduated from New York Law School in May 2025.  Finney-Wortman is an Assistant District Attorney with the Redhook Community Justice Center of the Kings County District Attorney’s office in Brooklyn, New York.

Schleyer’s mentor will be Danielle Baron ’20. Baron graduated from George Washington University School of Law in May 2024. She is currently a staff attorney specializing in housing and domestic violence at South Jersey Legal Services in Freehold.

The Arcuri Wharton Pre-Law Fund Award is named after two former Stockton Political Science professors — Alan F. Arcuri, who was known for his efforts in advising pre-law students and starting the pre-law program, and Linda Wharton, former pre-law advisor. It provides the recipients with a stipend to cover the cost of a prep program for the LSAT exam and mentors as they apply to and attend law school. The endowed fund has given out a total of 31 awards since 2019, following the creation of the fund by Arcuri’s wife, Kris.

In addition to the Arcuri Wharton award winners, the Political Science program recognized student leadership and research accomplishments, including the 2025 Constitution Day Fellows: Jordan Harris, Olivia Macanka, Isabella Marinello, Alexander Mendoza and Dhikrat Odutayo.

Political Science students were also recognized for other leadership roles on campus, including Model United Nations (Lindsay Grande and Skylar Ballin) and Student Senate (Vlad Vasylyk, Dhikrat Odutayo and Areyes Trimmer). Political Science major Christine Milnes served as a research assistant to Political Science faculty member Ghaidaa Hetou, through the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences undergraduate research initiative established by Dean Marissa Levy.

“Our political science students have excelled in their coursework, demonstrating both intellectual rigor and a nuanced understanding of the dynamics of power and politics.” said Lauren Balasco, chair and associate professor of Political Science. “Beyond their achievements in the classroom, they show a strong commitment to civic engagement and the principles of democracy, driven by a genuine desire to better their communities. Their passion for advocacy and service is not only their passion, but their determination to make meaningful change in the world around them."

Tina Zappile, associate professor of Political Science, also recognized the research conducted by students in the Political Science senior seminar, a course all Political Science majors are required to take to graduate. Students conduct their own research projects, exercising critical thinking skills and synthesizing the foundational research in the field through rigorous writing assignments throughout the semester.

In addition, the 2026 class of the Alpha Zeta Rho Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Honor Society was inducted: Marc-Anthony Allen, Candace Freeman-Alicea, Lindsay Grande, Grace Hatzel, Ben Klapatch, Dhikrat Odutayo, Alicja Schleyer, Joseph Viso and Emma Zeigler.

The event also held an induction ceremony for the first class of students in the newly established Theta Sigma Chapter of Sigma Iota Rho, the International Studies Honor Society: Sarah Cirillo, Jeffrey Delefuente, Benjamin Klapatch, Dhikrat Odutayo and Emma Zeigler.

View more photos from the ceremony