Honors Program

[ N E W S L E T T E R ]

CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS!

[ Spring 2019 Issue 2]
INSIDE
THIS
ISSUE:

Harrisburg Honors Conference
Contracts & Independent Studies
New York City Trip
The Dog-Eared Page
Senior Spotlights
Important Announcements

ON THE COVER:
Maria Holubeck is an illustration major

whose work primarily focuses on storytelling.
Whether it's finding beauty in the mundane
or fabricating the imagined, most of her art is
rooted in reality, but filtered through the lens
of her own personal experiences and desires.
Currently, she is determined to develop her
skillsets so she can better bring to life the
stories she wants to tell.

CONTACT
US:

HONORS OFFICE
103 Earp Hall, Edinboro, PA
16444
Phone: (814) 732-2981
Fax: (814) 732-2982
DIRECTOR
Dr. Roger Solberg
rsolberg@edinboro.edu
OFFICE MANAGER
Sue Althof
salthof@edinboro.edu
STUDENT STAFF
Katie Holt
kh163169@scots.edinboro.edu
Julia Love
jl160034@scots.edinboro.edu
Brooklynn Goodworth
bg163654@scots.edinboro.edu

Harrisburg Student
Leadership Conference

In March, eight Honors students traveled with Dr. Solberg to Harrisburg to represent
Edinboro at the PASSHE Student Leadership Conference organized by Slippery Rock University.
The students (pictured, front row from left to right: Brooklynn Goodworth, Shannon Kearney, and
Julia Love. Back Row: Jacob Steiger, Cory Myers, Kyle Breault, Abigail Morrow, Gabriella Keebler)
stayed for one night in Harrisburg and attended the day-long conference alongside all the PASSHE
schools and their directors.
In the weeks leading up to the conference, Edinboro students worked in pairs to develop
small presentations about several Honors-related topics such as Honors requirements, benefits,
global engagement, curriculum, community, and more. Each pair of students was responsible for
representing these specific characteristics of Edinboro’s Honors Program.
At the conference, the students participated in three sessions to present and discuss their
prepared topics. The sessions were organized to function as panel discussions so that each
program’s representatives had time to speak about their thoughts, ideas, opinions, and
experiences. Students were encouraged to ask questions and take notes. Many student
representatives asked for advice about specific problems occurring in their own Honors Programs
and were met with well articulated responses proposing ideas on how to solve these issues.
The Edinboro students returned to campus with insight on the Honors Programs of other
PASSHE schools, and heard from the Chancellor himself on some of the toughest topics in higher
education. Having gained so much knowledge about the programs of multiple schools and
developing new ideas for the future of the Honors Program at Edinboro, a focus group of the
students who attended this conference continues to meet to make progress in the pursuit of a
better Honors Program.

Contracts & Independent Studies
Every semester, Honors students are given the
opportunity to get more out of their non-honors
classes through a contracted course. Students work
with their professors to develop an extra project,
paper, or something else to gain Honors credit.
Contracts are challenging, rewarding, and usually
really enjoyable! Listed below are some projects
students have been working on.

L e a h
P i l e w s k i
My research project with Dr. Foradori and Shayma Musa ended a few
weeks ago and we were both honored to have the opportunity to present
our project poster for judging at CPUB (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
University Biologists) Conference held at Edinboro. We were able to receive
awesome feedback on our research, and were able to learn from peers at
other schools across Pennsylvania. As for our data, we found 3 promising
protein fractions that proved to have inhibition of proliferation of
the endothelial cells that we were testing. More testing will have to be
done to confirm the results from our preliminary study, but bee venom does
appear to have potential anti-angiogenic factors.
M o r g a n
K i n g e n
I decided to contract my Tech for Teach class with Dr. Dempsy. I created a
website using Weebly, and I focused the content of the website around
Erie County 4-H. After I published the website, I created QR codes with
the sections of the website. QR codes are very similar to barcodes found
on items in the grocery store. In fact, a QR code is a two-dimensional
version of the barcode. QR stands for “Quick Response” because of its
instant access to the information inside the code. The QR codes make it
easier for me to share and get people to interact with my website. To
gain information and interact with teens, I helped them prepare
speeches for an upcoming event and then uploaded the videos to the
website. By doing this project, I gained information about technology
that I can use in my future classroom.

Spring Honors Trip

NEW YORK CITY

The Honors Program takes an annual spring trip with a minimal cost for
Honors students. Past trips have included Boston, Washington, D.C., and
Toronto, and have always been a treasured experience of students who have
travelled with the program.
This spring, approximately thirty students traveled to New York City with
the Honors Program. Students enjoyed a stay at Wagner College, just a ferry ride
away from Manhattan, and had a welcome dinner with Honors students from
Wagner. Students had most of the weekend to themselves to go on adventures,
sightsee, visit museums, eat great food, and enjoy New York City culture!

The Dog-Eared Page
What are students reading???
Here is an excerpt from Tim Tharp’s The Spectacular Now, suggested by Julia
Love, a senior Art Education student. She chose this passage because of its
relevance to Edinboro’s upcoming graduation.

I open my arms wide and let the wind flow over me. I love the
universe and the universe loves me. That’s the one-two punch
right there, wanting to love and wanting to be loved. Everything
else is pure idiocy—shiny fancy outfits, Geech-green Cadillacs,
sixty-dollar haircuts, schlock radio, celebrity-rehab idiots, and
most of all, the atomic vampires with their de-soul-inators, and
flag-draped coffins.
Goodbye to all that, I say. And goodbye to Mr. Asterhole and the
Red Death of algebra and to the likes of Geech and Keeeevin.
Goodbye to Dad for the second and last time. Goodbye to black
spells and jagged hangovers, divorces, and Fort Worth
nightmares. To high school and Bob Lewis and once-upon-atime Ricky. Goodbye to the future and the past and, most of all,
to Aimee and Cassidy and all the other girls who came and went
and came and went.
Goodbye. Goodbye. I can’t feel you anymore. The night is almost
too beautifully pure for my soul to contain. I walk with my arms
spread open under the big fat moon. Heroic weeds rise up from
the cracks in the sidewalk, and the colored lights of the
Hawaiian Breeze ignite the broken glass in the gutter. Goodbye,
I say, goodbye, as I disappear little by little into the middle of the
middle of my own spectacular now.

Senior Send-Off

THIS SPRING, THE EDINBORO HONORS PROGRAM SAYS GOODBYE
AND GOOD LUCK TO A GROUP OF FANTASTIC SCHOLARS AND
PROGRAM MEMBERS!

Senior Spotlights
K I M B E R L Y

M O S H E R

Kimberly will be earning her Bachelors of Science in Psychology- Applied Mental
Health. She will be graduating Magna Cum Laude along with being awarded the
Outstanding Department Graduate in Psychology. She is thankful for the
opportunities the Honors Program has provided. Among these opportunities, being
able to present psychological research at the 2017 NCHC Conference is a
highlight. In the fall, she will be continuing her education at Purdue University Fort
Wayne and will be pursuing a Masters in Organizational Leadership. Her experience
in social media research, afforded to her by Edinboro’s Psychology Department and
Honors Program, has allowed her the chance to work alongside some of the most
widely published researchers in her field. Kimberly’s advice to underclassmen is to
enjoy this time as an undergraduate student and work hard, but also make time for
yourself.

H A N N A H

M C D O N A L D

Hannah will be graduating with a Bachelor's of Arts in Journalism and Public
Relations, with a concentration in Digital Media Production and a minor in
Spanish. When asked about the highlight of her college experience she says, “hands
down, the highlight of my experience at Edinboro in the Honors Program was my
study abroad trip to Belize with the PASSHE Honors Programs in the summer of
2017. That program and trip taught me so much about life and taught me how to
learn differently, in a setting that I had never experienced.” Hannah will miss her
close friends made through study abroad as well as on campus. Her advice to
underclassmen is not to stress out too much and remember that this time in the
university is meant for learning about much more than what is in textbooks. She
advises students to value these lessons learned in and out of the classroom, as they
will provide important insight for the rest of their lives.

Senior Spotlights
S H A W N

M U R P H Y

Shawn will be earning a BS in Business Administration with concentration in
Personal Financial Planning and Marketing, as well as a Sociology minor. The
highlight of his experience at Edinboro University includes a plethora of
opportunities, from attending the FPA Annual Conference in Chicago to the CFP
Board Registered Programs Conference in Washington D.C. In the Honors program, a
highlight of his experience was conducting research on a topic “near and dear to
[his] heart: financial literacy.” He surveyed 90 respondents and saw what level of
financial literacy his peers have, and what improvements can be done to help make
sure everyone is on a level playing field of financial knowledge. Shawn will miss the
amazing faculty, staff, and students he has gotten to know in his time here. He
advises underclassmen to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way,
do the research they want to do, and make the most of their college years.

M A D I S O N

G I L B E R T

Madi will be graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Speech and Hearing
Science, an Associates Degree in Preschool Education, and a minor in Psychology.
Within the Honors Program, Madi had the opportunity to travel to Chicago, take
Honors Courses, have a Pen Pal, and meet new people. Madi went on two studyabroad trips to the Dominican Republic and Italy and Greece; worked at the
Admissions Office and the Global Education Office; and worked at Disney World
through the Disney College Program in Fall 2017. She is a part of the Circle K
Community Service Club, a member of a sorority (Alpha Sigma Tau), was crowned the
2018 EU Homecoming Queen, and more. When she graduates, she will miss the
people she has come to know, the close knit community that Edinboro offers, and “of
course, the bagpipes.” Her advice to underclassmen is that academics are extremely
important, but getting involved is so important to having a good experience in college
and for building your resume. She says, “have fun and jump out of your comfort
zone. These are the best years of your life and please do not take them for granted!”

Senior Spotlights
J O A L L I E

P A L U C H A K

JoAllie will be graduating with a Bachelors of Social Work from Edinboro. She
considers priority scheduling a major advantage of the Honors Program because it
enabled her to take the courses she needed and was interested in. She is thankful
and very excited to have obtained her degree at a college like Edinboro, and will
miss the peer support that came with the community here. JoAllie’s advice to
underclassmen is to remember your values and not to lose yourself in the hustle
and bustle of college life.

C O L L E E N

M I C H A E L S

Colleen will be obtaining a degree in Social Work as well as a minor in Sociology. Her
best memory from her college years was a study abroad trip to Belize and the
people she met on the trip. Colleen will miss being around her friends at Edinboro
and the convenience of college living. Her advice to underclassmen is to take
advantage of the opportunities, clubs, and trips that are sponsored on campus. She
says, “if you’re considering doing something, do it. . . Get out of your comfort zone!”

M E R E D I T H

C R A G O

Meredith will be graduating with a Nursing degree with two minors in Biology and
Psychology. She lived in Earp on the Honors floor, and will miss those friendships
after graduation. She advises underclassmen to study abroad while they have a
chance, saying, “you will have debt either way, this way you may have a little extra
but there is now a stamp in your passport and adventure in your heart! The
opportunity may not be there in the future.”

Senior Spotlights
A N N A

S T R N I S H A

Anna will be getting a degree in Secondary Social Studies Education with a History
minor. She says that without the Honors Program, she never would have met her best
friend, senior Joey Asti. Anna considers the Honors Program spring semester trips to
Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C. as opportunities to make great memories and
travel. Her advice to underclassmen is to go out of your comfort zone in college, to try
new things, to join clubs, to go to your classes and study, but also allow yourself to
have fun. She concludes: “An all-nighter may seem like your only option, but you’re
better off just getting some sleep.”

J A C O B

T R I N C A

Jacob will be graduating with a degree in Secondary Social Studies Education.
During his time in the Honors Program, he has had two significant highlights: working
in the office along side some incredible people, and being chosen to study abroad in
Vienna, Austria and Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Jacob will miss the regular and
convenient opportunity to learn new things and meet new people. His advice for
underclassmen is that “college and the Honors Program is like an investment, and the
more you’re willing to get involved, the more beneficial and enriching the
opportunities become.”

C A S S A N D R A

W H I T M O Y E R

Cassandra will be graduating with a degree in Medical Technology. At Edinboro, she
was given the opportunity to be a lead author on a cancer research project through
the biology department. Her advice for underclassmen is to take advantage of priority
scheduling because it helps alleviate stress, and to seize the the opportunity to live in
the Honors Living-Learning Community. She credits the Living-Learning Community as
having given her her best friends.

Senior Spotlights
J U L I E

B E R N A T O W I C Z

Julie’s degree will be a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood/Special Education with
a minor in Psychology. When reflecting on her college experience, she counts
studying abroad twice in Reggio Emilia, Italy with the Early Childhood Department as
a highlight. She also enjoyed presenting research, investigating the differences
between the curriculum she studied in Italy and her own curriculum in the United
States at the National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference in
Atlanta, Georgia. Julie will miss the familiarity of the campus, professors, and student
body at Edinboro - and the bagpipes! She advises underclassmen to get involved
early, stay involved, and take advantage of the many opportunities to learn, grow, and
develop amazing friendships through pursuing your passions.

Seniors,
The Edinboro Honors Program will miss you dearly.
We are so thankful for the legacy you have left
behind and hope to keep in touch! Congratulations
on this incredible accomplishment of graduating
college with Honors. We wish you the best of luck
as you begin a new chapter of life!

Important Announcements
NCHC
Congratulations to Morgan Calahan, Erik Murphy, Sarah Watson, and
Rachel Maly for being accepted to the 2019 National Collegiate Honors
Council Conference. They will travel to New Orleans and present their
research!

Honors Housing Moved for Next Semester
Beginning in Fall 2019, the Honors Living-Learning Community will be in
Highlands 1. Honors students can also choose to live in Towers.

New Office Employee!
The program welcomes Rayne Burgin as our brand new office staff
member!
Happy Summer!
The program thanks all its students and staff for making enriching
education fun for another year! Have a safe and warm summer
everyone!