edited by Kistler Hunt
Volume 7, Issue 22
February 28, 2024
Dear Honors students,
Tomorrow marks the rare occurrence of Leap Day! Embrace this additional day in our calendar as a chance to seize a new opportunity or simply relish in an extra day of personal reflection and rejuvenation. That time for yourself is even more important as we find ourselves immersed in the intensity of midterms. Remember that while academic success is important, it depends on your well-being. Midterms can feel like a sprint through an academic marathon. As you navigate exams, papers, and projects, pace yourself, take breaks, and breathe. Take time to acknowledge the hard work you've put in and trust in your abilities to navigate through challenges. Be kind to yourself. Celebrate the small victories, and if things don't go as planned, remember that setbacks are temporary. Take care of yourself, reach out for support when needed, and remember that you have the whole Honors community to lean on. You've got this!
Wishing you resilience, focus, and moments of tranquility,
Vicky
Upcoming Opportunities:
Interim Dean Vicky is happy to help you apply; send her an email at klimavw@appstate.edu
Career Development Center Pitch Night
To celebrate Career Week, the Career Development Center will be holding a Pitch Night on February 29 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the Solarium. The event will give students the opportunity to write and practice elevator pitches — speeches that are given to introduce oneself to an employer. For more information, contact the Career Development Center.
Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors Abstract Submissions
The Office of Student Research will be hosting their 27th annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors on April 18. They are currently accepting abstracts for their poster competition, which will be held on the same day as the Celebration. Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to apply. Submitted abstracts must reflect work that is mostly student-designed, driven, conducted, and completed at the time of submission. Abstracts must be submitted by March 1 at 11:59 p.m. For more information and to submit an abstract, click here.
Partners in the Parks Programs
Applications for the National Collegiate Honors Council’s (NCHC) Partners in the Parks (PITP) programs are now open. PITP is an outdoor experiential learning program coordinated by the NCHC. PITP works with national parks across the country to offer unique opportunities for collegiate honors students and faculty to visit areas of the American landscape noted for their beauty, significance, and lasting value. The PITP trips for summer 2024 include Mammoth Cave National Park, the Appalachian Trail, Crater Lake National Park, and Glacier National Park. Scholarships are also available through NCHC and through each regional honors council. For more information, click here.
Internship and Career Fair
The Career Development Center will be hosting an internship and job fair on March 6 from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the Holmes Convocation Center. A variety of employers will be in attendance, including those in communications, business, health sciences, technology, the public and private sectors, education, science, and more. For more information and to register, click here.
Watauga Arts Council Gallery Submissions
The Watauga Arts Council is now accepting submissions for its exhibition curated by Shauna Caldwell, titled “How We Care: Visualizing Our Loving Community.” The Arts Council is seeking works of photography that show the current and future interconnectedness of communities. Submissions are due by midnight on April 1. For more information and to submit a work, click here.
Stay in the Know:
App Builds a Home Bowling Tournament
App Builds a Home (ABAH) will be hosting a bowling tournament on February 29 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. The bowling tournament will take place at High Country Lanes. In addition, High Country Lanes will be rounding up any purchases made throughout the month of February in support of ABAH. Both proceeds will go toward funding an upcoming ABAH project. To register a team for the tournament, click here. For more information or for any questions, contact Misty Mayfield.
Theatre and Dance: Men on Boats
The Department of Theatre and Dance will be performing the show “Men on Boats” at the Valborg Theatre from February 28 – March 3. All performances will begin at 7:00 p.m., with a matinee occurring at 2:00 p.m. on March 3. “Men on Boats” follows the journey of ten explorers aboard four boats, traversing the Grand Canyon. The story shows the challenges of navigating “unchartered” terrain as well as interpersonal relationships amongst the crew. Tickets are available for purchase through the Schaefer Center website. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Visiting Writers Series Presentation
The Department of English is hosting its Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series, which features renowned authors who present about their work. The first presentation of the Spring 2024 semester will feature poet Keith Wilson and his experiences in poetry, game design, a combination of the two, and more. A craft talk and reading will be held on February 29 from 3:30 – 4:45 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., respectively. For more information, click here.
Cooking with Purpose Workshops
The Office of Sustainability will be hosting college cooking workshops, titled “Cooking with Purpose,” throughout the Spring semester. The goal of this series is to increase awareness about how to prepare healthful food using sustainable ingredients and techniques as well as to showcase ingredients that are inexpensive and typically available at the Mountaineer Food Hub. The next workshop will be held virtually on March 5 at 5:30 p.m. For more information and to register for a particular session, click here.
INTAPP International Meet and Greet
International Appalachian (INTAPP) will host its annual international meet and greet on March 5 at 5:00 p.m. in the Solarium. This event will feature a panel of international students discussing their experiences at App State and is a great way to learn more about the international student population. For more information and to register, click here.
In the Honors Spotlight
Tommy Guy ‘07 implements interdisciplinary learning at Microsoft
Photo features Tommy Guy. Photo submitted.
Tommy Guy ’07 relates his Honors experience at App State to his current work as a principal architect for artificial intelligence (AI) software at Microsoft. At App State, Guy double majored in philosophy and religion and mathematics and graduated with honors in the Department of Philosophy and Religion. He then continued on to receive two master’s degrees, one in mathematics and one in computer science from Wake Forest University. He is currently at Microsoft where his team builds artificial intelligence (AI) models. He describes many aspects of his role as “translational,” because he serves as a point of contact between the developers programming the AI software and the product managers concerned with the user experience. Reflecting on what was most meaningful about his time at App State, Guy spoke of the opportunities he had to engage in interdisciplinary learning and to exchange ideas with people of different backgrounds and different ways of thinking. He closes by saying, “At App State, I learned how to think.”
To learn more about Guy’s journey, click here to read the story by Courtney Roberts.
Have announcements to share? Submissions can be made to honors@appstate.edu. Any content received by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday will be considered for the following week’s issue.
Have a story to share? Share what you have done, what you are doing, or what you will be doing by submitting a story here.
To stay in the know, learn about opportunities, and take part in the Honors community, find us below!