Amanda Lalonde’s sons are the most important part of her life and the reason why she chose to major in psychology and forensic science at Syracuse University.

One of her three sons has ADHD, and another has ADHD and autism.

“I just wanted to be able to support my own kids better,” said Lalonde, who is also part of this year’s Remembrance cohort. “Plus, I’m fascinated with how people think and how people interact with each other.”

After about nine years in the Navy, Lalonde is the first veteran to be selected as a Remembrance Scholar. Each year, the scholars honor the 270 victims — including 35 SU students — who died after a bomb detonated Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. As both a scholar and a non-traditional student, Lalonde said her experience navigating work, motherhood, service and other responsibilities has helped her overcome her shyness.

In addition to a full course load, Lalonde works for SU’s National Veterans Resource Center as an intern with Vet100, a program that highlights the top 100 veteran-owned small businesses each year.

She said she’s found a community of veterans on campus, which has made her experience easier, and she wants to use her position as a Remembrance Scholar to pave a path for others to participate in the program.

“I feel like there’s a weight on my shoulders,” Lalonde said. “I have to represent the rest of the student veteran population and be a good example for other student veterans that may get selected (for the Remembrance Scholar program) later on.”

Lalonde said being a Remembrance Scholar is a surreal experience. Usually she would never have applied for a program like it, she said.

“I’m not the typical average college student, but I’m also of the mindset like, ‘why not, like, let’s give it a whirl, we’ll throw our name in the hat and see what happens,’” Lalonde said.

And Remembrance isn’t the only position Lalonde has had to step out of her comfort zone for.

Jared Welch, who is also a Remembrance Scholar, first met Lalonde two years ago during an orientation event. Welch, who is also an Orientation Leader, admitted he was thrown off at first by their age difference, but quickly realized Lalonde would be a good fit for the Orientation Leader team and recommended she apply.

“She was as she is now, full of life, you know, very like that go-getter kind of attitude, always participating,” Welch said.

Sifan Hunde, another Remembrance Scholar and an OL, met Lalonde during orientation training together last summer.

“We bonded kind of with that nervousness in the first couple days. She seemed so kind and so open and honest,” Hunde said. “She’s a grounding presence for me.”

This was Lalonde’s second year on the OL team, and she spoke about her experiences at SU’s convocation ceremony for new students. Hunde and Welch said the speech is their favorite memory of Lalonde.

“I kind of started tearing up listening to her because number one, the speech was absolutely incredible. She spoke just so beautifully and illustrated her life like no one else can,” Welch said. “Having the opportunity to watch her grow so intimately… is beautiful.”

But Lalonde’s path to SU wasn’t linear.

Lalonde grew up roughly an hour away from Syracuse in Endicott, New York until her family moved to Tampa, Florida for her father’s job while she was in high school. Her interest in science began at a young age, her father Robert Gritsavage said. In high school, she was one of two women in a club with around a dozen where students built a small-scale electric car.

Despite being an avid student in high school, Gritsavage said Lalonde dropped out after her first semester at the University of South Florida because she struggled to make friends. She then began her Navy career.

“I want to set a good example for my kids like, ‘Hey, you don’t necessarily have to leave high school and go straight to college … there’s no right or wrong way,’” Lalonde said. “Just find your avenue.”

Lalonde later moved to Syracuse and stayed home with her sons while her husband Jon worked as a Navy contractor in Afghanistan. He served three-month stints, with a month of leave in between, for several years, while she was taking care of their sons at home.

Courtesy of Amanda Lalonde

Amanda Lalonde’s sons are the most important part of her life and the reason why she chose to major in psychology and forensic science at Syracuse University.

When Jon ended his time with the Navy in 2012, Lalonde decided it was time for her to give college another chance.

Lalonde said she feels more appreciative of her college experience now than she did the first time around. She said being a non-traditional student has led her to value aspects of the college experience like good professors, academic support and other resources more than she did at age 18.

“She definitely has the drive to go for as much as she possibly can,” Gritsavage said. “You know, as far as anything in life, she’s always been that way.”

Hunde said she admires her friend’s ability to push the boundaries of conventionality.

“Being a veteran and being a mom, she’s so open about all of those experiences and is able to give her wisdom and her knowledge and share that with everybody who’s willing to listen,” Hunde said. “It’s not the easiest for a person that has gone through a lot in their lives, but I think she has so much grace and her ability to go through situations, but still find a positive aspect to it.”

Lalonde said her sons often sit with her and do their homework while she does her’s. One of the boys had the opportunity to attend several of Lalonde’s classes, and she said he loved it. Another one of her sons already wants to join a fraternity, though she’s told him he’ll have to wait about ten years.

Lalonde is currently taking 19 credits in hopes of graduating this December. She plans to use her psychology degree to help the veteran community and veteran students. She hopes that her non-traditional path will help inspire other students like her.

“I went through orientation as a transfer student and I enjoyed what they did for me to welcome me to campus and I want to pay it forward,” Lalonde said. “If there are older non-traditional students transferring in, I want to be there for them. There’s a community of us who want you to be successful.”

News Editor Kyle Chouinard contributed to reporting for this article.

Published on October 20, 2022 at 12:07 am

Contact Katie: ksmcclel@syr.edu | @katie_mcclellan