As a first-year student at Wichita State, my number one goal was to get involved and learn about the campus and the community. I learned about the Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College during my first-year orientation and through being involved in the National Honors Society in high school. Worried about how strenuous it could be to maintain the GPA and curricular requirements, my immediate thought was, “I don’t want to put that type of pressure on myself again for four more years.” So, I did not apply. As the semester went on, I heard more and more about the Honors College, and that free coffee and unlimited free printing kept luring me in, so I decided to apply for the benefits. As I learned more and more about it, I regretted not applying sooner. 

The Honors College has allowed me to grow academically and personally. They strongly believe in directly applying what they teach and offer many courses that exemplify this. From traveling to the Grand Canyon every winter to Paraguay in the summer, Honors supports you. I had the opportunity to participate in Lead for Tomorrow, a research and design thinking course that connected us to the Wichita Habitat for Humanity. It presented challenges for our team and tested our creativity and grit, but the best part of this course was traveling and learning hands on! Discovering and learning about Memphis, Tennessee, with my cohort motivated me for the work we were doing. As an Honors student, you’re doing incredible things as a student and the skills learned and applied will last you a lifetime.

I’ve also participated in their Paraguay Honors Service-Learning program, and it was completely covered by a scholarship available to Honors students only: The Cohen Enhancement Scholarship. In Paraguay, I also did some research on healthcare accessibility and affordability, as well as the measures and regulations the country takes to implement and ensure each citizen is receiving adequate healthcare. Being both passionate about healthcare affordability and my Latina heritage, the Paraguay course enriched me even more in ways I never thought possible. 

There are so many ways to get involved in the Honors College, be it through coursework or with other activities and events they hold, like monthly colloquiums with the first-year students, or being a part of the Honors Student Council or an Honors Ambassador. You are destined to meet intellectual people who are learning what meaningful work means to them, and actively applying it in their communities and on campus, making them a truly distinguished Honors student. 

If you were hesitant about the Honors curriculum and the overall experience as an Honors student, I hope my experience can help you decide if the Honors College is a good fit for you. If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the amazing staff members in the Honors office. I hope to see you around the honors student lounge soon for some free coffee and printing, and I hope you'll be ready to make an impact on the world!