Seven Honors College students traveled to Montgomery, AL, March 25-28 to present at the Southern Regional Honors Council (SRHC) 2026 annual conference . The SRHC promotes and advances Honors programs and Honors Colleges in the southeastern United States.
Dr. Heather Waldroup, associate director of the Honors College, and Taylor Carrillo, Honors College graduate assistant, accompanied these students to the conference. Dr. Waldroup stated,
The Southern Regional Honors Council conference is an outstanding venue for our Honors students to present their research and connect with other Honors students from colleges and universities throughout the Southeast. The diversity and depth of our students' presentations — which included STEM fields, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences — allowed App State’s Honors College students to truly shine in this event.
The Honors College provided scholarship support for each student's registration and travel expenses—a great investment in Honors education.
Photos below feature App State Honors College students who attended this year’s conference, with details about each.
Audrey Ashdown
- Major in psychology with a concentration in human services.
- Entered App State in the Fall 2022 semester and the Honors College in Spring 2023 semester; plans to graduate May 2026.
About her experience, Ashdown shared,
This was my second year attending SRHC and it has been a great opportunity to practice presenting my research to an audience, meet Honors students from other universities, and strengthen my connection to App State's Honors community.
Annie Deakle
- Major in psychology with a natural science concentration and a minor in chemistry.
- Entered App State Honors College Fall 2022 semester and plans May 2026 graduation.
Katie Rhoades
- Majors in nursing and interdisciplinary studies.
- Entered App State Honors College in the Fall 2021 semester and plans May 2026 graduation.
About this opportunity, Rhoades stated,
The opportunity to present at SRHC is extremely valuable providing students a supportive environment to begin to transition from school to the professional world.
Lila Rhodes
- Major in nursing.
- Entered App State Honors College in the Fall 2022 semester and plans May 2026 graduation.
Rhodes reflected on what this experience meant to her Honors education, stating,
Attending the SRHC conference this year in Montgomery was a great opportunity to collaborate with faculty and students from other schools, see the research they are doing, and get feedback on my current Honors thesis work. The conference being in Montgomery this year was also a valuable experience to learn more about the Civil Rights movement and the history that Montgomery and Alabama hold.
Mary Sterett
- Major in communication sciences and disorders with minors in dance and American Sign Language.
- Entered App State Honors College in the Fall 2022 semester and plans May 2026 graduation.
Mary Sterett reflected on her experience,
Attending the SRHC conference was an incredible experience! I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with other honors students from across the region and hearing about their impressive research. This conference not only gave me experience in presenting but also expanded my knowledge across a range of disciplines I would not have otherwise heard about.
Katelyn Tijerina
- Major in English with a minor in special education.
- Entered App State Honors College in the Fall 2024 semester and plans May 2026 graduation.
About the conference, Tijerina stated,
I enjoyed the SHRC conference and it was a great opportunity to understand how honors programs work in other colleges. As someone who is going into higher education, I thought the conversations around the functions and restrictions of both colleges as a whole and honors colleges was incredibly useful. I am really grateful I got to go! I explored the local community as well as the Rosa Parks Museum!
Jillian Weidner
- Major in history with a minor in philosophy.
- Entered App State Honors College in the Fall 2024 semester and plans December 2027 graduation.
Weidner shared the following:
I am very glad I went on this trip with the Honors College. I was able to explore a beautiful city with a rich cultural history and share the research I am deeply passionate about, all while making connections with people from my own honors community and the communities from all over the southeast region.
Photo above features Mary Sterett, Lila Rhodes, Katie Rhoades, and Jillian Weidner in front of the Rosa Parks statue at the Alabama state capital building. Photo submitted.
Photo above features the group in Montgomery eating dinner together during the conference. Photo submitted.
Top photo features a view of Montgomery, AL. Photo submitted.
Top photo features a view of Montgomery, AL. Photo submitted.
Top photo features a view of Montgomery, AL. Photo submitted.