By Megann Horstead
Social Media Editor
From Keikhofer Hall & Koten Chapel to the residence of North Central College’s former president, the College Scholars Honor program looks to further its mission to support high achieving students.
By this January, the Honors program office will be located in the Rall House.
“Part of the College’s decision to move us there was to increase the profile of the honors program and also to provide space for students to gather, study, hold events, and that really fits with our motto of excellence through community,” said Hamalis.
“Moving to a larger space and one with historical significance on NCC’s campus can bring to light how greatly the program is growing,” said Stephania Rodriguez, a College Scholar Honor student. “Also moving honors housing to Seybert Residence Hall will create a similar feeling of community that was once at Geiger but more easily than in a residence hall like Student Village.”
Since Professor Perry Hamalis’ start with the College Scholars Honors program seven years ago, a motto has been instituted for the program in which he calls “excellence through community.”
So what is “excellence through community?”
Hamalis said it’s reflected both in the curriculum of the program as well also in the co-curricular offerings–College Scholars Honors retreat, honors housing, or even conversations and colloquies.
The whole purpose of the program is to meet the needs of the high achieving students.
Structures are in place and resources are available to help students that are struggling academically. The honors program is there to provide resources for students at the high achieving end, Hamalis said.
“We want all of the North Central students to reach their full potential [and]that is something that requires a certain amount of specialization in terms of what we offer.
In recent years, the program’s staff has worked to make the program’s curriculum more accessible to the various majors offered at the College, even those with many requirements such as education.
“Students are coming in [to the program], but so far everything offered has been to reach students and provide a context to work with,” Hamalis said.
The program is growing in terms of numbers and its offerings.In turn, the success of the College Scholars Honors program is helping to start a similar program for high achieving students from underrepresented backgrounds, Hamalis said.
“The new program that is in the works would work side-by-side with Honor program to help in building an ‘attractive, thoughtful, high quality offering.’”
But in terms of the vision of the College Scholars Honors program, Hamalis has one overarching goal.
“I just hope that we can continue to draw a wide range of students from all academic disciplines, support them toward completing the requirements, and basically just helping them to make the most of their undergraduate experiences so that they can reach those dreams.”
