Special Opportunities
Chance favors the prepared mind.
Louis Pasteur
Special Opportunities Within the Honors Program
We are very proud of the fact that we are able to provide students in the Honors Program with some special opportunities.
We have included some of those opportunities below:
- We provide Honors Program students with a learning community
One major benefit is that Honors Program students have the option of being housed together in a designated section of Texan Hall. Students who have been accepted into the Honors Program, have a 3.0 GPA or meet one of the entrance criteria for the Honors Program may take advantage of this unique housing opportunity. Students are also provided access to the Honors Program lounge where they can study, relax or socialize.
- Exposure to community leaders
Through our Community Conversations program, we invite speakers from the San Angelo community to talk to students. Speakers are chosen based upon their reputation as well as the interest of the students. A question that these speakers are always asked is "How did you get to where you are today?" This exercise is very important in teaching students that the path from point A to point B is not always linear.
- Peer-to-peer mentoring
Honors Program students are also assigned a peer mentor when they join the program. This mentor helps guide students through their first semesters in college. Experience has taught us that even Honors Program students sometimes need guidance and support.
- Participation in events
Additionally, the Honors Program arranges social, intellectual and cultural opportunities for students. These events may include a field trip to museums, plays or musical/theatrical performances. In fact, we had two field trips that took place during the 2005/2006 academic year that were organized to help support instruction in our Honors Program courses.
- Career and personal guidance opportunities
Our Carry Forward Program is designed to help students identify what it is that they want to do once they leave college. During an Honors Program student's first semester, they participate in an interview with Honors Program personnel. The interview helps us get to know each student on an individual basis. We also use the interview to identify personal and professional goals for students. For example, a student that is interested in becoming a lawyer would be encouraged to volunteer or work in a lawyer's office to help them determine if that is the route that they wish to go. Once these goals are identified, they are assessed each year.
During the fall semester of their graduating year, some of our students will be selected to undergo a final interview conducted by a committee. The committee will assess a student's achievements while at Angelo State University. The committee will then write a composite letter of reference for the student to use in job applications or applications to professional or graduate schools.
- Washington Center
The Honors Program is working with the Washington Center to provide students in the Honors Program and at Angelo State University with the opportunity to participate in internship programs in the Washington, DC area. To quote from their website, "The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars provides an integrated academic and work experience to prepare college students and professionals for lives of achievement and civic engagement."
For more information concerning the Washington Center, please contact the Honors Program at 942-2722.