The Honors Program has always meant excellence. Excellence in learning, teaching, researching, and so much more. There are so many aspects of Honors that deserve praise, and it’s my hope to do justice to at least a few of them today.
For many, the Honors Program serves as a vital resource for financial support. According to Huskies
United, this year Honors awarded 91 scholarships for a total of $143,369.99. As a Presidential Scholar myself, I cannot adequately express how much this aid meant to me. These scholarships and grants allow us to pursue our educational passions and extracurricular activities knowing that we have the financial support to do so without worry. I know my time here at NIU would look very different without this help.
Along with the program’s commitment to helping students financially, the program also supports us academically. As a freshman, I was astonished at the abundance of honors classes and seminars available to me. Just this semester, topics ranged from HON 300’s “Human Genetics and Evolution” to HON 310’s “The Social Scientific Study of God.” These classes encourage us to engage with our own learning and develop relationships with professors about the research they’re passionate about.
For me, these classes naturally led to another huge part of my time in the Honors Program: research. After taking an Honors seminar my sophomore year about the “Ideas and Ideals in Don Quixote,” I knew that I wanted to do my research in English. I reached out to the professor of this seminar, Dr. Timothy Crowley, my senior year, and he agreed to be my faculty mentor for my capstone. By requiring the capstone to achieve Full University Honors, the program has ensured that we developed skills that will assist us no matter what career we pick. It’s an opportunity that few universities offer their undergraduate students, and we’re incredibly grateful for the chance to dive into whatever makes us excited. 
But most of all, the Honors Program has meant community. Whether you live in the Honors Housing or attended the Taft Lorado retreat, whether you’re a McKearn fellow or a Presidential Scholar, whether you’re a Full or Associate University Honors student, you have fostered friendships that will last a lifetime. Even though we might not have the same majors or minors, we are all curious, passionate, and hard-working individuals. The Honors Program has connected me with friends and a community that I will not soon forget.
As we graduate, we will always remember every opportunity, every faculty member and professor, and every friendship we made along the way. Thank you to Honors Program for allowing us to not only enjoy our time here at NIU but also to make the most of our time here at NIU.
