Check back soon
Once posts are published, you’ll see them here.
top of page
Alycia Holwerda
Honors Program
Mission statement of the Honors Program:
The mission of the Honors Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato is to create future leaders, researchers and global citizens by providing high ability and motivated students with exceptional learning opportunities, mentoring relationships, and a community of scholars that foster their development as future leaders in a global society.
Leadership
Upon graduation, honors students will have demonstrated the ability to utilize personal leadership values and guide groups toward a common goal.
Research
Upon graduation, honors students will have demonstrated the ability to exhibit information literacy skills, synthesize and integrate ideas, produce original research or creative works, and contribute to knowledge.
Global Citizenship
Upon graduation, honors students will have demonstrated the ability to exhibit second language and communication competencies and exhibit cultural competency and awareness.
Why Honors?
I first heard about Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Honors Program after being accepted into the college. My first semester of college I completed an Honor’s first year seminar class. In this course, I learned about the various aspects and requirements of the Honors Program. Afterwards I was not involved in many activities that the Honors Program provided, but that does not mean it did not have an impact on my collegiate experience. In this essay I will reflect on how I was evolved with Honors Program, how that impacted my experience at MNSU, and how it has helped me grow personally and professionally.
My initial interaction in the Honors Program was in my freshman Honors seminar class. In this course I learned various leadership techniques, aspects of research, and what it means to be a global citizen. I was able define my leadership aspirations as being able to communicate with my team members, collaborate on ideas, and make informed executive decisions after hearing all opinions. I learned research is proposing a curiosity, learning information on that topic, and then presenting what was learned to others. Global citizenship is not only being able to communicate with others, but also connecting language to culture and being aware of cultures.
After completing this course, I was not very involved in the Honor’s Program, but I was able to take the knowledge learned and apply it to activities that interested me. I applied my leadership philosophy to my role as President of D.R.E.A.M. Through hackathons I was able to work on my research skills. With conversing and traveling to new places I was able to progress in my global citizenship. The Honors Program pushed me outside of my comfort zone to gain new experiences and skills in activities that interested me. I was not applying the Honors Program to my activities; I was applying my activities to the Honors Program.
The Honors Program allowed me to reflect and articulate my experiences at MNSU. It pushed me to challenge myself to progress in my leadership, research, and global citizenship skills. Though my Honors portfolio, I can exemplify my progress, skills, and knowledge to future employers. During interviews I can list specific examples, express skills gained through that experience, and articulate how that applies to the desired job. The Honors Program challenged me to develop new skills, opinions, and thoughts. Even though my approach was more hands off than others, the Honors Program still helped me grow personally and professionally.
bottom of page