St. 做厙輦⑹s Antonian Honors program welcomed a new class of honors students at its annual pinning ceremony this September, with 41 students attending the ceremony and 71 new honors students joining the program in total. Students, staff, faculty, and family members gathered in Rauenhorst Ballroom for the ceremony where current honors students and one alumna from the program presented new members with pins, marking their official entrance into the honors program.
Currently, there are a total of 240 honors students in the program at St. Kate's. Antonian Scholars are selected based on high academic achievement and demonstrated leadership. During their time as an undergraduate, scholars must maintain a 3.5 GPA, complete four interdisciplinary honors seminars, and produce an original research or creative work for their senior honors project.
Burnices Barlue 24, an Antonian Scholar and neuroscience major with a minor in longevity and aging, was the student speaker at the pinning ceremony. They told the incoming students how their experience at St. Kates has been broadened by the honors program and the opportunities it has provided, such as the conversations encouraged by the interdisciplinary honors seminars.
These conversations shape students into people who understand how complex and interconnected many facets of our existence are, and enable them to identify parallels between their experiences and course content, Barlue said. I have cherished the interdisciplinary nature of this program, which has broadened my horizons and the connections I have made with faculty in a different academic sphere than myself.
Barlue shared that their feelings about their career path have evolved from the sense of uncertainty they felt upon first arriving at St. Kates.
That uncertainty has not dissolved entirely; however, my experiences throughout college have affirmed my academic interests and informed me of the steps needed to pursue avenues that fulfill those interests, they said. Some of you may feel unsure about the future, but the honors program and network of its amazing students are here to support you through those moments.
After kicking off the year with the pinning ceremony and an excursion to the Minnesota State Fair the Antonian Scholars look forward to another year of combining scholarship with fellowship in the pursuit of excellence.
Based on the energy from the pinning ceremony and the honors students we brought to the state fair, it feels like this will be another great year in honors, said Rafael Cervantes, PhD, director of the Antonian Honors Program and associate professor of communication studies. We have an exciting selection of honors seminars this semester and next, and an incredible group of honors seniors working on some really interesting projects. The students do such interesting and different work I learn so much from them!"