NWACC’s Honors Program celebrated two decades of their “dynamic and student-centered” learning program on March 20. Many Honors students, Honors instructors and guests gathered in the student center to connect and celebrate what the program has brought to the college throughout the years since its beginning.
The college’s Honors Program forms a student-centered learning atmosphere with small-discussion centered classes that focuses on showing students a new way of learning. Yullyana Laguna, former NWACC honors student and current University of Arkansas honors student, said “there’s a lot of stigmas going into it but honestly with honors classes there’s more connection with the professors that I really enjoyed.”
Honors classes drive students to achieve new things and experience new ways of education. Students in the honors program should expect; small classrooms with fewer than 15 students, courses that challenge students to think critically and creatively, as well as, incorporate these learned skills to real world issues with hands-on projects, research and service opportunities.
“ ,” said Sabrina Chesne, one of the Directors of NWACC Honors. Although it is a different type of work compared to other classes, Chesne mentioned that many students who hear about honors automatically assume the workload is too difficult for them. When really honors classes strive to be more hands-on and project oriented, instead of purely more difficult.
Connection building is strongly encouraged in honors. Students involved typically stay connected with one another as a result of the community building while in the program. Judah Tate, a current NWACC Honors student, said “The [Honors] program has been excellent while I’ve been at NWACC, and I have met a lot of smart individuals while I’ve been in the program and gotten to know them more.”
Honors has changed the requirements for enrollment, originally only considering GPAs. Now, it has changed the requirement to 3.2 GPA and professor recommendation. “I assumed the program would have been dull and serious, but after I joined, I found myself having a lot of fun during my time at NWACC,” said Tate. “I would recommend that you join as soon as possible if interested.”
Chesne also said, “many people start out thinking honors isn’t for them, or it isn’t attainable. When they take it, I hope they realize that they are honors students and that they do hold all the value, … I think most of them leave with more confidence than what they started with.”
For more information about the NWACC Honors Program, you can reach out to [email protected] or visit Burns Hall 1111.