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News & Updates from the Honors College
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Honors and Great Books Student Elected Senator for Student Government Association
Sam Lefebvre has been elected and sworn in as the Honors College's new Student Government Association (SGA) Senator. In this role, he represents the students of the Honors College, serving as a liaison between the students and the university in an effort to enhance student success and foster an environment of campus engagement. Sam says that his "ambitions in the Student Government Association were spurred in the fall of 2018" as an Intern with the Center of Student Leadership in collaboration with SGA. In this role, he was tasked with identifying how students want to be reached regarding valuable campus information.
Sam is also involved in a variety of other organizations on campus.
This past fall, he was among a team of over thirty students who won dozens of awards debating international policy on behalf of Germany, China, and Saudi Arabia at the Southern-Region Model United Nations Conference. In this competition against other universities, Sam says "the high energy and intense conference sharpened my mind on foreign affairs, assuming the role of a representative from foreign nations.
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He's recently been selected as the Resident Assistant (RA) for the Austin Residence Complex (ARC) 400 Building and, in another role, will be active in promoting school spirit and student involvement as an Owl Expedition Flight Crew Leader. He's excited about the opportunity to "plug new students into KSU's multitude of student organizations, help students make new friends and peers, and help new students walk away with a better understanding of what Kennesaw State University has to offer." He remembers being a shy, and uncertain student to KSU when he first arrived and to this day attributes much of his love for the University to his first impression of the Honors College and Dean Bailey's welcome. Sam said, "Dr. Bailey was the first to introduce herself and help me move into my room, which was up three flights of stairs. She never complained and showed through her actions her immense compassion and unwavering passion for serving students. I have never forgotten that moment. Dean Bailey and the Honors College have shown me through their own actions that 'if serving is below you, leadership is beyond you.'"
Sam is also a member of the Honors College's Great Books cohort. He will travel to Montepulciano, Italy for four weeks in May, where he will attend lectures, field trips, and complete special projects in a culturally immersive manner.
Sam is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Business Finance; his ultimate goal is to become a Chief Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer for a reputable firm. He also plans to pursue a Master of Business Administration and become an auditor, continuing to build networks, learn about the compliancy and regulations of companies, whilst traveling around the world.
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Honors Student Represents KSU During Board of Regents Academic Recognition Day
Erica Lundak, an Honors senior studying Public Health Education, was recently selected to represent Kennesaw State University at the Board of Regents' 2019 Academic Recognition Day. This honor, only granted to one student at each of the 26 institutions in the University System of Georgia, is awarded on the basis of academic excellence and community involvement.
Incredibly involved at KSU, Erica's recognition is well deserved. As an Honors student, Erica has participated in numerous Honors Learning Experiences and research opportunities. She was a part of the inaugural "Honors Discovery" in Fall 2017, where she and a small group of other students studied "Bone Records: The Story of Censorship, X-ray Film, and Bootleg Music in Soviet Russia." This unique experience was led by Dr. Patricia Poulter, one of the world's few experts on the subject and the Dean of the Arts College at the time.
That same year, Erica was afforded the opportunity through the Honors College to present at the Southern Regional Honors Council (SRHC) Conference on the topic of Nutrition and Addiction. She says that this first research opportunity helped prepare her for her upcoming National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) presentation. At NCUR, she'll be presenting research that she conducted in conjunction with Dr. Jim Annesi concerning the effects of a community-based group exercise class on the well-being of individuals with Parkinson's Disease, a disease with which she's all too familiar; four years ago, a family member was diagnosed with the nervous system disorder, fueling her passion for Parkinson's Disease research.
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Also, in 2017, Erica was awarded "Outstanding Undergraduate of the Year" in Health Education at KSU's Chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma, and she helped spearhead the Public Health Education Majors Club.
However, Erica's dedication to public health goes well beyond her involvement at KSU. In 2016, she volunteered with the Center Helping Obesity in Children End Successfully (C.H.O.I.C.E.S.), where she conducted a cooking demo that helped children learn about nutritional food options. She's currently working two separate internships, one of which is with Eagle Medical Services, a company contracted to work with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In this internship, she's working in the Immigrant, Refugee, Migrant, and Refugee Health (IRMH) Branch of the Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ) Division. She says that this experience has helped her learn how public health plays out in the broader world.
In her second Internship, Erica works as an International Team Operations Intern with WinShape Camps, the nonprofit arm of Chick-fil-a. "I have worked three summers for WinShape Camps, in various locations, including in Georgia, Brazil, and Costa Rica," she says. "This summer I will be headed back to Brazil for a second time with WinShape. I love everything WinShape stands for, and their mission behind hosting camp for over 30,000 campers in the U.S., and thousands more in Costa Rica and Brazil."
Though she's not positive where her journey will take her after she graduates, Erica says that she plans to pursue her Master's degree in Public Health (MPH) at some point the in the future and looks forward to "exploring more international populations." Ultimately, though, Erica says that she's been grateful for the "elements of community, academic rigor, and opportunities" that KSU's Honors College has provided her.
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PEGS Student Receives Award for Community Service and Leadership
The Honors College has proudly awarded
Chris McCall with the 2019 Ralph Rascati Outstanding President's Emerging Global Scholars (PEGS) Student Award. Named for the founding dean of the Honors College, this award recognizes a second-year PEGS Student for strong scholastic performance and service to the community.
With the mission of accelerating the personal, professional, and academic development of outstanding Honors students, the PEGS program aims to prepare students to actively engage in their communities, develop global competencies, and grow as exceptional scholars. The curricular and co-curricular programming provided in the PEGS program gives participants the tools they need to prepare distinguished applications for elite graduate programs, prestigious scholarships and fellowships, and exceptional career opportunities.
An economics major, Chris was accepted into the PEGS program in 2017. Now in his second year, he's volunteered towards service projects both locally and globally. Most recently, he worked with nearly 500 members of the KSU Community as part of the university's sixth annual Day of Service. Chris spent his Day of Service at Simple Needs GA, a nonprofit organization supporting children in need and people experiencing homelessness.
Last semester, Chris studied abroad in Costa Rica on a PEGS trip, where he volunteered at an orphanage, an experience that he says provided him with "a new perspective on the world." Furthering this new perspective, he'll travel with his PEGS cohort this summer on a 10-day service-learning trip to Italy, where he'll be afforded the opportunity to serve and study in Montepulciano, Florence, and Rome. While in Rome, he will volunteer at Kim Onlus, a facility that helps children from around the globe recover from intense surgical procedures.
Chris says, "the Honors College has played an integral role in my success as a student thus far. My fellow PEGS classmates' successes have pushed me to work harder in school, and I have truly enjoyed volunteering alongside them."
Though he ultimately plans to become a financial advisor, seeking an internship in financial planning or actuarial services next year, Chris has a service goal to complete before jumping into his career. After graduation, he is dedicated to serving two years in the Peace Corps in order to gain unique life experience and perspective on the world. Upon his return, he will seek a job in the world of finance.
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Consider making a difference in a student's life by giving the gift of an Honors College scholarship.
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Many Honors students work two jobs, engage in their community, and participate in service activities, while also committing themselves fully to their studies.
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Dates and Deadlines
| March 30 |
Spring Break Begins - No Classes
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| April 1-5 |
Honors Alternative Spring Break Trip |
| April 11-13 |
National Conference on Undergraduate Research |
| April 16 |
Honors Improv Night |
| April 26 |
A Day with Honors for Prospective Students |
| April 27 |
KSU Open House - Marietta Campus |
| April 29 |
Last Day of Classes |
| April 30 |
Final Exams Begin |
| May 2 |
Honors Graduation Reception |
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Need a reminder? Never miss an Honors event or deadline by signing up for Remind text messages!
Honors students can now sign up to receive text alerts about important KSU Honors news and deadlines.
Kennesaw Honors students: text
@uhkennesaw to 81010
Marietta Honors students: text
@uhmarietta to 81010
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KSU Honors College | honors.kennesaw.edu
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