Kent State Honors College
Parents and Friends Newsletter, November 2018
Thanksgiving Greetings from the Honors College Dean
Hello Everyone!
The Thanksgiving Holiday is almost upon us, and soon, students will be headed home for that wonderful long weekend with family and friends. They will have so many stories to tell you! For those of you with freshmen, you may be surprised to learn of their new plans and latest successes. Your student may also seem to you to be tired, maybe too tired! All across the country, first semester freshmen are coming home after a considerable stretch of new challenges and new living patterns, and they are indeed very tired. In fact, stress and time management problems are the most commonly reported issues for students at this point in the semester. This, then, is the best time of the academic year to chat with them about Resilience.
Resilience is the ability to handle challenges and "bounce back" from adversity, whether it be great or small. Now is the time to share with them how you handled challenges you faced (particularly at their age) and how you figured your way through those challenges. They will absorb these stories and put them into practical use in their own resilience development.
Whether you have a first year student or a senior, remind them that there are always options, always ways to handle challenges successfully, and provide them with examples from your own experiences.
Here are some talking points you might find useful:
- Maintaining a hopeful outlook- discuss specific ways to find a path forward!
- Suggest getting the conversation going with friends- make connections with others!
- Being kind to yourself- suggest meditation, working out, attention to sleep and meals...
A good summary of steps students can take to become more resilient can be found on this American Psychological Association link. The Honors College and the university provide programming and opportunities to build resilience (see Peer Success Specialists training information in the feature below). Meditation is available in many locations on campus, and in the spring semester, morning yoga sessions will be available in the Honors College library. The Honors College staff is always a good source of information- remind your student- JUST ASK!
Also, here are important links you and your student should know regarding student health related programs available on campus:
Where can I find Campus Health and Wellness Resources?
Kent State of Wellness: Mental Health
Psychological Services Counseling Center at University Health Services
Residence Hall Questions or Issues
What about Commuter Students?
KSU has a Commuter & Off-Campus Student Organization- "COSO"
Financial Aid Questions
As a final note, please remind your student to register for their spring courses - it is time!
I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving, and a delightful holiday season.
With warm regards,
Dr. Alison J. Smith
Dean of the Honors College
Peer Success Specialists: Training and Building Resiliency
During recent Peer Success Specialist training, Honors students discussed the American Psychological Association's '10 Ways to Build Resilience'. Peer Success Specialists mentor their fellow students as part of the Success Coaching program. Please ask your Honors advisor if you would like to learn more about the Peer Success Specialist initiative, along with visiting the Peer Success Specialist webpage!
Federal Internship Opportunities: Starting to Explore the Internship Process
It is now the time of year for students to start thinking about upcoming internship opportunities! You may want to chat with your student about completing an internship. There are several types of internships; paid, unpaid, federal, state or local, businesses, non-profits, even some that are available on campus! Last summer, hundreds of students in the Honors College held summer internship positions. Specific internships have January application deadlines, most notably, those in the U.S. Federal programs. Here is a "heads-up" about Federal, paid/unpaid internships. These are fantastic internships that take place over a ten-week time block in the summer. Many of them are paid internships.
What are Federal summer internships? These include internships with NASA, NOAA, National Parks, Fish & Wildlife, EPA, USGS, the State Department, the Federal Reserve, and others. A few programs, such as the Federal Reserve, require summer internship applications an entire year ahead, but most have January deadlines.
Where can students learn about them? Here is a list of some popular links regarding federal internships below. To explore others, use the name of the federal program (e.g., Federal Reserve) and summer 2019 internships as keywords in your Internet search.
NASA Due April 1st, 2019 (Remember, NASA-Lewis is in the Cleveland area!)
NOAA A sampling of internships- Due dates are all in January-February
National Parks (Remember, the Cuyahoga Valley has a National Park!)
The State Department Programs/various deadlines; of special interest is the virtual intern program!
We will be talking about other types of internships in the March issue of the Honors College Parents & Friends Newsletter! Please encourage your student to reach out to their Honors academic advisor if they have any questions during their internship search.
Honors College Research News
Samantha Kirgesner, Honors College anthropology major, Class of 2018, is the lead author on a published journal article based upon her Honors Thesis research!
Samantha Kirgesner, Michelle R. Bebber, Ashley Rutkoski, G. Logan Miller & Metin I. Eren (2018). Toward Recognizing the Prehistoric Butchery of Frozen Meat: An Archaeological Experiment and Stone Tool Microwear Analysis. Lithic Technology,
DOI: 10.1080/01977261.2018.1529371
In other research news, three Honors College students contributed research efforts on a National Science Foundation Grant in the Geology Department during the summer of 2018, uploading ecological data to an international paleoecological database. Jennifer Cross, Lucy Antalek, and Gracia Lu rescued more than four thousand environmental data analyses and moved them to the public access Neotoma Database (www.neotomadb.org)!
Prestigious Awards and Scholarships
In addition to the academic and social programming organized and planned by the Honors College, the college also oversees the university's prestigious awards and scholarships. These awards and scholarships range from research focused scholarship awards, to those concentrating on environmental issues, and even scholarships for critical language acquisition for undergraduate students.
Additionally, the Honors College works with graduating seniors to apply for prestigious awards, including the Fulbright and Marshall. If selected, these awards offer stipends, international experiences and academic credit. Moreover, having been granted an award strengthens graduate school applications and resumes.
For more information on some of the scholarships and prestigious awards, please visit the links below:
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Honors College Alternative Spring Break Trip: Chicago, IL; Sat. March 23 - Thurs. March 28
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: EDUCATION, CRIME AND COMMUNITIES
Partner Organization: Boxing Out Negativity and Chicago Public Schools
Student Participation Fee: $500
Here's a chance for your Honors student to immerse themselves in diverse Chicago communities. Your student will learn from leaders who contribute to youth education and empowerment, and strive to enhance their safety and success. They will work closely with the nonprofit organization Boxing Out Negativity, the Chicago Public Schools, as well as other area leaders who work in engaging youth, restorative justice, violence reduction, and more.
For more information and to register for the Honors College Chicago Trip, please click on the link below:
https://cel.kent.edu/SpecialBreak/Default.aspx
Financial assistance is available for Honors students and trips are filling up quickly. More information is available online for other Alternative Spring Break trips at https://www.kent.edu/community/alternative-breaks.
The Honors College is now accepting donations to fund scholarship opportunities for students wishing to participate in the Honors College Chicago Spring Break trip. For those interested in donating, please contact Honors College Associate Director, Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, Angela Mattox via email at amattox1@kent.edu.
Honors College Downtown Cleveland Trip: Cleveland Museum of Art & Westside Market
In early November, Honors College students experienced the opportunity to explore the city of Cleveland, as we traveled to the Cleveland Museum of Art and to the Westside Market.
Honors students enjoyed one of the top art museums in the world, while viewing iconic works by Claude Monet and Andy Warhol. Many enjoyed lunch at the museum's Provenance Café before heading to the Westside Market to shop for baked goods and specialty foods. For more photos from our excursion, follow our Facebook page and view our photo album!
Fall Break at the Honors College: Pumpkin Decorating
While many students ventured home for a few days of 'Fall Break', many students also stayed on campus during the lull in the semester. The Honors College provided a fun fall-themed get-together, as students enjoyed painting pumpkins while sipping apple cider and munching donuts. For more photos from our talented group of pumpkin decorators, follow our Facebook page and view our photo album!
Career Speaker Series: Fall 2018
For the past eight weeks, the Honors College hosted a total of 16 very talented and successful Kent State alumni, including many Honors College graduates, for a professional speaker series aimed at preparing our students for life after college. From doctors and lawyers, to architects and school teachers, our KSU alumni have provided a wide range of topics and career tips for our students.
Honors students who attended three or more speaker sessions have been entered into a drawing for a chance to win 1 of 2 $250 book scholarships, valid for the spring 2019 semester. A special thank you to the alumni speakers who presented to 117 Honors students!
Commuter and Off-Campus Student Meet & Greet
Honors students enjoyed refreshments and spending time together, as the Honors College held their first commuter and off-campus student Meet & Greet event last month. Commuting students mingled and met with Commuter Off-Campus Student Organization (COSO) representatives.
The Honors College DID!
Special thanks to the
League of Women Voters of Kent
who visited the Honors College a few weeks prior to Election Day and registered Honors students to vote!
Alpha Lambda Delta
In October, four Honors College students, along with Honors College advisor Lauren Huffman, attended the annual leadership conference for Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society for First-Year Students in Cincinnati, Ohio. Attendees were able to choose from a variety of conference session topics- from presenting in a professional setting to crafting a successful scholarship application, these Alpha Lambda Delta members learned valuable skills that will benefit them in the remainder of their collegiate years, and beyond.
Meet the Honors College Staff!
Our Honors College staff is dedicated to creating positive relationships with students, which enhance the undergraduate Honors experience.
Staff members are always eager to meet with students. Visit our Honors College staff webpage to meet our team of Honors staff. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns relating to your student.
CONTACT US:
1-330-672-2312 honors@kent.edu www.kent.edu/honors
Kent State University, Honors College, 20 Stopher Hall, PO Box 5190, Kent, OH 44242