Students in GSC's Honors Program at Fallingwater. (Back L-R) Tyler Cooper, Morgan Allen, Dr. Jonathan Minton, Charissa Friend, Katie Stover, Tyler Hammack, Allante Watts, Brianna Caison; Front L-R)
Larisa Gordon, Sarah Gillespie, Emily Walker, Dr. Art Dematteo
New students in GSC's Honors Program. (Back L-R) Kolby
Abruzzino, Tyler Hammack, Austin Broussard, Evan Merical,
Michael Pracht; (Front L-R) Hannah Roberts, Charissa
Friend, Thaje Houston, Jessica Layne, Amanda Lamb, Kelly Weaver
GLENVILLE, WV - The Honors Program at Glenville State College, now in its second year, is growing. This year has seen the return of nine continuing students and twelve new participants.
The program, which recruits around 10 new applicants a year, is designed to offer students a space where they can study and explore academics with like-minded peers. The program has three components including a rigorous academic environment, service to the local community, and a social outlet for networking and making friends.
Students in the Honors Program are eager to be more engaged with academics. As such, they are paired with faculty mentors who help them pursue projects in their specific educational field. The students also take part in special honors classes where they get to delve deeper into academic culture. Sophomore honors courses are team taught among GSC faculty and topics covered can include philosophy, rhetoric, educational theory, analysis, art history, the sciences, and psychology. During the students' junior and senior years, their honors classes are organized as independent study.
"Our goal is to help guide these talented students through college. As part of the program, they get to take part in the work that our excellent faculty and industry professionals are already doing. They get to see first-hand what those people actually do in their careers and disciplines, which is not only invaluable experience, but tremendously educational," said program advisor and English professor Dr. Jonathan Minton.
In addition to their scholastic endeavors, the students take part in community service projects and social events. The group recently organized a bingo night for residents at Glenville's Genesis HealthCare rehabilitation center. With Minton and history professor Dr. Art DeMatteo, the students traveled to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater in Pennsylvania; a trip that also gave the different groups of honors students a chance to interact and become better acquainted.
First-year students in the program say they appreciate the built-in group of friends that they have immediately. "People here care about your progress and it's easy to make friends. Certainly not like many larger schools," said Kelly Weaver, a biology major from Weston, West Virginia. Several say that being at GSC is more than just attending college and making friends. "Being here has seemed just like a home away from home," said Austin Broussard who is studying music education and hails from Elkview, West Virginia.
Honors Program students enjoy and create opportunities for deeper intellectual connections within their peer group too. Natural resource management major Michael Pracht organized a Chemistry 101 study session for his fellow honors students. "I think everybody that attended was happy with it, and I think it helped me get a better score on the exam," said Pracht. "I certainly plan on organizing another session for upcoming exams and maybe for other classes."
"Students considering becoming a part of the Honors Program shouldn't have the misconception that there won't be someone here that they can relate to outside of academics. Student athletes, band members, education majors, ROTC cadets - this group really is all-inclusive," said Kolby Abruzzino who is a behavioral science major and a member of the Pioneer Baseball team.
Incoming students with ACT composite scores of 24 or higher and high school cumulative grade point averages of 3.5 or better are eligible for the GSC Honors Program. Scholarships starting at $750 per semester and special housing accommodations are given to successful applicants.
For more information about the GSC Honors Program, contact Minton at Jonathan.Minton@glenville.edu or (304)462-6322.
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