Take learning to a higher level
While all students are urged to take an active role in their education, Honors College students lead the way. They aren’t satisfied with high GPAs — they are driven to know the whys and hows and strive to make the world a better place.
TUNE IN TO WINGSPAN: THE HONORS COLLEGE PODCAST OUR STUDENTS STUDY, RESEARCH, AND SERVE ABROAD
Honors College Spotlight
Honors Students Josie Lorea and Kea Kamiya were honored at the 2022 National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Conference in Dallas. Congratulations to Josie, Kea, and all of the FGCU faculty and staff that have supported them!
A senior majoring in Biology at the Honors College at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) hailing from Charleston, West Virginia, Josie was named the 2022 NCHC Student of the Year, the highest honor that NCHC can confer on an honors student. Josie succeeded Katey Ryan, the 2021 NCHC Student of the Year, who graduated from the FGCU Honors College in May 2022.
A senior majoring in English and Art at the FGCU Honors College hailing from Bradenton, Florida, Kea was named a 2022 NCHC Portz Scholar for having written the best paper/senior thesis/honors thesis in the category of Arts and Humanities in the 2021-2022 academic year. With the other three 2022 NCHC Portz Scholars (in the categories of Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, etc.), Kea presented her work at a special session at the conference.
Honors in the News
FGCU Hall of Fame gets six Honors students
Six Honors students were inducted into the FGCU Hall of Fame for their exemplary contributions to the FGCU community. (Article: Drew Sterwald, FGCU 360)
Honors student brings compassion to cancer research
Honors student Kaelyn Julmeus earned 11 student awards on her way to a Florida Gulf Coast University biology degree, including a Fulbright grant to teach English in Poland. (Article: Alex Gruber, FGCU 360/Photo: James Greco)
Honors students have been turning their passions for positive social impacts into action
The FGCU chapter of Global Medical Brigades is coordinating with Immokalee-based Healthcare Network to set up free monthly medical screenings during community events in Immokalee. (Article: Seth Soffian, FGCU 360)
Honors students lend a hand to the less fortunate.
Five Honors College students got to see the importance of the group’s work when they volunteered for Blankets & Blessings as part of an Honors Foundations of Civic Engagement class. (Article: Nina Barbero, FGCU 360/Photo: Tara Geissinger.)
A trek through the Amazon
Honors student, Alex Marsh, has turned a three day study into a multilayer project, thanks in part to funding from FGCU's Honors College and other supporters. (Article: Kyle McCurry, FGCU 360/Photo: Matt Metcalf)
Kat Brown developed a children and adolescents reading to dogs program
Children read to dogs at the humane society which helps the children advance their reading capabilities and helps the dogs find their forever homes (Article: Karen Feldman, FGCU 360/Photo: Karen Feldman)
A group of Honors students continued a series of innovative projects at Lovers Key State Park during the pandemic for a class called Trails for Tails
Trails for Tails Honors Students work to remove waste from Lovers Key State Park, designed trail signage, updated media resources and even created educational materials for children. (Article: Louise Kowitch, Fort Myers News-Press/
Honors student able to study abroad in the second year of the pandemic.
Honors student and Gilman scholar, Josie Lorea took a six-week cell biology course with the Yonsei University International Summer School program in Seoul, South Korea. (Article: Ariande Vasquez, FGCU 360)
Honors students get to bring awareness of cancer to FGCU.
Honors students participate in the FGCU Cancer Research Program. The registered student organization teaches the community about cancer and its risk factors. (Article: Tyler Watkins, FGCU 360)
Honors student makes a difference by starting new student organization.
Honors student, Karoline Tyrell, formed a new student organization, FGCU Give Back, a group dedicated to making others smile by giving back to the community. (Article: Tyler Watkins, FGCU 360/Photo: Unknown)
A trip to Arthrex for students to experience first hand the development of medical device
In an innovative partnership, FGCU and Arthrex are familiarizing students, Honors students included, with the fundamentals of the medical device industry and helping them master the skills needed to start a career in the business. (Article: Annie Hubbel FGCU 360/Photo: Marieb College Homepage)
Honors Students Grace Anderson and Alex Marsh are FGCU’s first Goldwater recipients.
Two Florida Gulf Coast University students have been awarded a prestigious undergraduate scholarship committed to developing the next generation of researchers in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics.
Entrepreneurship major develops app to help students manage stress
Honors student Jack Hellmer is working with Dr. Brunner, Director of FGCU's Counseling and Psychological Services, and Dr. Sandra Kauanui, Director of the Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship, as part of the Runway Program to build an app to help his peers access CAPS services. (Article: Tyler Watkins, FGCU 360/Photo: James Greco)
Intern sees firsthand impact of childhood cancer, COVID-19
Honors student Hannah Lee reflects on her marketing internship at Lee Health. (Article: Hannah Lee, FGCU360/Photo: Tim Murphy)
FGCU's first Fulbright selection since 2016
Carolyne Mesa, Honors College Alumna '19, has been selected as a Fulbright Finalist for the English Teaching Assistant Program to Uzbekistan.
Honors sophomore Katherine Patterson is FGCU's first Critical Language Scholarship Program Finalist
A biology major and aspiring research doctor, Katherine has never given up on her dreams. While she is unable to attend her CLS Program in China this year, she is determined to reapply now more than ever on the basis that diseases do not have borders and she feels it is imperative to be able to communicate with the larger global medical community to stem pandemics like COVID-19 in the future.
Honors student Grace Anderson contributes to protecting students and health workers
Honors student, Grace Anderson, is among students working alongside a university professor to make hand sanitizer for student dorms and health workers. (Article: Drew Sterwald, FGCU 360/Photo: James Greco)
Honors College Alum urges #DONTgLITTER
Solano, 21, who spent her undergraduate years as a highly visible Honors College student around campus working in projects with University Marketing & Communications, was connected with Chad Evers as her supervisor on the anti-glitter project by the instructor in her own University Colloquium class, Jessica Marcolini. (Article: Keith Gibson, FGCU 360/Photo: James Greco)
Volleyball star killing it at net and in classroom
Junior Honors Student star Cortney VanLiew is excelling in the classroom and on the court. “When your best players are the hardest working people in the gym, that’s when you have good things happen,” Botsford said VanLiew, who also is an honorable mention All-American, 3.9 GPA accounting major and president of the FGCU Eagles Council student-athlete advisory committee." (Article: Seth Soffian, FGCU 360/Photo: Brad Young)
Water-Energy-Food project harnesses the power of trash
Multiple Honors students work with faculty, Seneshaw Tsegaye, on the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus System project. The integrated WEF system turns solid waste and wastewater into both a biogas energy source that can substitute for propane, and into nutrient-rich, recycled water for fertilized irrigation. In other words, the FGCU engineering team is working to convert your garbage into sustainable gold. (Article: Keith Gibson, FGCU 360/Photo: James Greco)
Students see Puerto Rico recovery through social work lens
Honors students, Hannah Arteaga and Alana McFadden, are part of the FGCU student and faculty group that researched how social workers in Puerto Rico assisted communities and individuals in the wake of Hurricane Maria. (Article: Karen Booth, FGCU 360)
A love of teaching, discovered at FGCU, leads to Peace Corps
With a grant from the Honors College, where Krista served as a mentor to other honors students, she went to Bali for two weeks to teach English and environmental education to fourth-graders. And that’s when everything changed. (Article: Tierney Sadler, FGCU 360/Photo: Jared Pearlman)
Bioengineering student aims to build a better wheelchair
Hernandez-Isidro’s research began last semester as an Honors College contract when Dr. Derek Lura, assistant professor in bioengineering, introduced him to Jennifer Lee, who was referred to FGCU during a fitting for her new wheelchair. (Article: Karen Booth, FGCU 360/Photo: James Greco)
Life's a beach for grad who loves the natural world
Service-learning with wildlife helped Ricky Cassell (Honors Alum '18) find a passion and a career path. (Article: Drew Sterwald, FGCU 360/Photo; James Greco)
Honors students are active in Dr. Greg Boyce's chemistry lab
“I didn’t realize I was going to love organic chemistry so much … this has been just awesome,” said senior Jacob Foster, who’s earning a biology major and chemistry minor and hopes to one day pursue orthopedics or pediatrics in medical school. “This experience has really helped me excel in my other classwork, develop confidence in my independent critical-thinking skills and learn to take the knowledge in my head and apply it to real-world problems.” (Article: Keith Gibson, FGCU 360)
DC-bound grad aims to work for the common good
Daryl Cordova came to Florida Gulf Coast University as a first-generation college student who planned to one day make a difference in the lives of others as a social worker. But as is the case with many undergraduates, Cordova, from Lehigh Acres, changed course. Switching to a political science major his sophomore year, the Honors College student still plans to make a difference, but on a bigger stage. Instead of creating impact at the grassroots level of social work, Cordova hopes to do so on the more wide-reaching platform of government work. (Article: Keith Gibson, FGCU 360)
Venezuela native is one of nearly 2,000 Florida Gulf Coast University graduates
Fabiana Solano, an Honor's College Student, is graduating with a 3.8 overall grade point average and a 4.0 GPA in her major. She is a Florida Public Relations Association member and an Award of Distinction winner. (Photo: Amanda Inscore/The News-Press Article: Brooke Baitinger USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA)
Honors Alum receives prestigious fellowship
A summa cum laude graduate in biology, Xylia Horgan, plans to practice pediatric oncology. Horgan is spending her so-called “off” time immersed in research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — the nation’s biomedical research institution — in Bethesda, Md.
Delve deep into the Delta Blue
The Mississippi Blues Legends Festival at FGCU offers not just a chance to enjoy an outdoor concert of soul-stirring, hip-swaying music from the Deep South played by established artists from Clarksdale, Miss. Presented by the Honors College, it’s also an opportunity to learn — about the past and present of Delta blues and about the musicians keeping alive the tradition of sizzling slide guitars and passionate singing
Students charmed by studying abroad at Harlaxton
Honors students Chandler Burwell and Kaliegh McFadden are spending a semester studying, living, eating, and playing at the Harlaxton College Manor in London. Thanks to FGCU's partnership with the British campus of the University of Evansville (Indiana) the opportunity to spend a semester at Harlaxton College, London is open to all students.
Honors Senior Jacob Byrd's experience in "Freedom To Serve" Course
During the Freedom To Serve course, Jacob Byrd was able to connect with Dr. James Douglas’ friend Vik Chhabra, a Captains for Clean Water activist who works closely with former WINK News reporter and leader of For Truth Media Chris Grisby.
Honors Senior studying in China on embassy scholarship
"Sieger was one of 15 undergraduates chosen from across the United States by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington, D.C., for 2018-19 funding to study abroad. An art and English double-major, she is studying Chinese language and culture at Soochow University."
Grad pursuing chemistry Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon
We're so proud of Honors College alum Jamie Gaitor for all his success and are excited to see what's ahead for him. Honors Development Grants assisted Jamie in his academic career.
Honors immersed in helping local communities
A group of Honors students and staff participated in a three-day immersion program in Immokalee, Fla., working with nonprofit organizations in the community.
Reaching new heights in learning and service
15 students study, bring aid and explore the Peruvian Amazon alongside leaders of the Honors College and the Office of Undergraduate Scholarship.
Honors graduates named to Hall of Fame
Congratulations to the 6 Honors students among 10 Eagles inducted into the FGCU Hall of Fame in 2018.
Honors expands into college
FGCU’s much-heralded Honors Program graduated in 2017 into the Honors College, now serving about 1,200 high-achieving students.
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