Comprehensive Overview of Ohio Honors Experience

Broadly, the Ohio Honors Program has shaped my undergraduate experience in ways that extend far beyond the classroom. This program has influenced how I learn, how I create, and how I understand myself in relation to my surrounding community. Through its emphasis on interdisciplinary and experiential learning, the Ohio Honors Program has transformed higher education from something I once imagined as purely academic into something practical, collaborative, and deeply personal. The program challenged me not only to succeed within my major, but to think critically about how my skills could function across disciplines and within communities. 

I have especially appreciated the structure of how the Ohio Honors Program approaches experiential learning. The inclusion of both curricular and co-curricular experiences, paired with reflection, strengthened my understanding of academic rigor. The demands of academic success often aligned with the pathways of the Ohio Honors Program. Establishing a community within the classroom creates an environment grounded in dialogue and growth. I found success in applying the pathway of community engagement within my studio classes, where critique, feedback, and peer support are essential to improvement. This program has also refined my understanding of research and expanded my definition of creative activity. As a studio art major, this pathway initially felt intuitive, but the program helped me develop it more intentionally in terms of process and execution. Co-curricular experiences taught me to approach research collaboratively and experimentally, while curricular experiences provided the context necessary to create with a more informed and culturally competent perspective. Finally, the pathway of leadership revealed itself through academic dedication and initiative. For me, leadership has meant speaking during critique, facilitating studio visits, and sharing opportunities in hopes of benefiting my cohort. 

Professionally, the Ohio Honors Program connected me with meaningful artistic opportunities. I especially value how each experience within the program felt adaptable to my creative skillset. My curricular course in Backyard Conservation allowed me to create a zine for the Athens Conservancy promoting the Lindy Roosenburg Preserve near Chauncey. Through Community Engagement in Appalachian Health, I designed a digital illustration that served as the graphic for Community Food Initiatives’ annual Harvest Potato Giveaway. I also completed a semester of service learning at my hometown elementary school, working as a designer and muralist. These experiences gave me opportunities to create for real clients and real audiences. Through them, I developed professional communication skills, learned to meet realistic timelines, and gained experience that mimics the expectations of a creative career. 

Finally, the Ohio Honors Program significantly shaped my interpersonal and social experience at Ohio University. Before finding community here, I carried anxiety about my intersecting identities. I often felt uncertain about expressing my Appalachian background while also trying to meet assumptions of what an artist or academic should look like. The people I met through the Ohio Honors Program and the Appalachian Scholars Cohort became central to my sense of belonging. A fellow scholar, Julia Cooper, sat beside me during Honors Seminar in Fall 2022, and nearly four years later remains one of my closest friends. That kind of connection reflects what this program offered me at its best—a space where authenticity also meant human connection. As I move toward graduate school and a professional career, I will carry forward the confidence, collaboration, and curiosity this program helped me build.