They came to the Honors College after seeing a plastic model of what it would look like, hearing promises about its future, and seeing the mounds of dirt where their classrooms and dorms would be.
The inaugural class arrived in the Fall of 1999 to a dorm that had been approved for occupancy the night before they moved in, and where their meals were catered in the lobby due to an unfinished dining hall facility. Ph.D. professors helped the 77 freshmen lug their belongings into their new dorm rooms. This spring, 28 of those freshman graduated with a liberal arts and sciences degree from FAU and the Honors College.
Making a dream a reality
The graduating class of 2003 spent four years at an institution which is known as “the first true honors college built from the ground up at a public institution as part of Florida’s effort to retain and attract some of the brightest and best students in the state.” Of the 77 students that began blazing the trail to success in 1999, 28 of them remained to graduate this Spring and Summer.
These students’ impact on the Honors College and their ability to be a part of a community of intelligent, talented, hard-working, dedicated student pioneers sets these graduates apart from the their peers at other more traditional universities. Graduate programs that these students have been accepted to include many of the most prestigious and selective in the nation.
Attending the Honors College has become less of a risk as the graduating class moves on to such a promising future. Admissions Director Kerry Rosen admits that the successful graduating class gives her department the ability to attract promising high school students more easily. In the fall, the incoming class will be close to 140 students, up 40% from the previous fall. Many of the factors that attracted the original class, however, such as the small classes, private dorm rooms and generous scholarships, still hold promise for current and prospective students.
“I feel very privileged to be a part of what I consider history in the making,” said Honors College Associate Dean Nancy Poulson. “We are beyond the cutting edge of honors education in the nation.”
Hard work and determination pay off
Although the Honors College course load is a heavy one, including all honors-level courses, a senior thesis and a required internship or study abroad, there are countless rewards to attending the small, liberal arts university. Students have access to small classes, Ph.D. professors including 6 Fulbright Scholars, intelligent classmates, and opportunities to charter new clubs and organizations within the student community.
Although their college is part of FAU as a whole, the Honors College education experience is very different from the one found on the main campus in Boca Raton. Living on campus in one’s own private dorm room is a requirement, and all students are awarded some sort of academic scholarship. Scholarships range from $5,000 for a general academic award or $7,500 for National Merit Finalists to a full ride and more -that amounts to more than $50,000 over four years for five Flagler Scholars per incoming class.
“Graduation has given us a sense that the HC is successful, and is here to stay,” said Honors College Admissions Director Kerry Rosen. “We can now say our first class is going on to schools like Georgetown, University of Virginia, Northwestern, Boston University and more, because it’s true. That’s a concrete image of success here.”
Requirements for attending the Honors College include SAT scores in the mid 50% range of 1170-1360. Honors College students are expected to be well-rounded: successful in high school academics, community service and leadership. According to Dean Nancy Poulson, Honors College students bring a breadth of intelligence and talent to the school. There are no ordinary students, and there is never a dull moment at the Honors College.
The trailblazers
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” This quote, used in many admissions publications, beautifully summarizes what Honors College students are achieving.
Proclaimed the first “trailblazers” for their extraordinary power to help build the Honors College and commitment to attend a school where there was no past, only the promise of a future, the graduating class of 2003 formed a special bond with each other and laid the foundations for a program that will continue to grow and expand.
“This first class of students have been the pioneers, the trailblazers, trying to help us build the college, work out the kinks. I think they’re a group of bright students, that have a kind of spirit, and symbolically they are the first tangible products of this dream college,” said Dean William P. Mech. “When you look at the quality of schools that they’ve been admitted to, and the quality of scholarships and awards that are going with them, when we look back and point to these as the pioneers, these graduates reflect well on the university.”
Students at the Honors College continue to seek new opportunities and ways of thinking, communicating and connecting. New clubs are started each year by students. Branches of organizations on the Boca Raton campus such as Student Government, Black Student Union and RSA succeed also at the MacArthur campus through both commuter and Honors College Students.
One of the most exciting parts of attending the Honors College is that every student has the opportunity to become a “trailblazer” by forming and being a part of new clubs, creating new paths to follow, and taking on leadership roles within the university. Freshmen can become leaders of clubs, hold positions in Student Government, and rise to recognition within the Honors College community. Creating traditions, community, and culture on the small Jupiter campus showcases the talent and determination of the small student body.
The ceremony: a triumph of mastery
The first full graduation of the newest college of Florida Atlantic University took place on May 1, 2003, at the MacArthur campus. The Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College graduated 21 students, and 7 students who will graduate in the summer also participated in the heartfelt, intimate, two-hour ceremony.
Joseph Colucci was chosen by his classmates to deliver the Graduation Address. His candid, humorous and truly spectacular speech really captured all the ups and downs of the Honors College experience for his class. The 10-minute speech had audience members, professors, graduates and current students laughing, crying and smiling.
As recognition of completing their Senior Thesis, each student was awarded a medallion, which was placed over their heads by their advising professor. This is meant to mirror the tradition of Ph.D. graduates being hooded by their major professor. The students were called up on stage, received their diplomas, medallions, and flowers from their advisors, and Dean Mech read their names and the titles of their theses.
A slideshow of pictures from the previous four years was put together by continuing students as a tribute to the graduates. Presented by student Walteria Tucker, the powerpoint presentation captured many memories for the graduates. Each graduate was given a CD copy of the slideshow. The ceremony also included special student recognition awards that were given to both graduates and current students.
A reception was held in the MAC Atrium after the ceremony that included various refreshments and the opportunity for graduates to mingle, take photographs, and be congratulated on a job well done.
The legacy will continue
The first class will never be forgotten, and the Honors College will continue to grow each year, although there are no plans for the school to grow beyond 600 students and 50 to 60 faculty members. One professor for every 10 students, an intense, interdisciplinary program, the ability for students to design their own concentrations, and the opportunity to create and build a community will remain staples of an Honors College education.
Every professor and certainly most Honors College students are proud to be a part of the Honors College community and the FAU community as a whole. So at the end of the beginning, and on its way to achieving recognition and excellence, the Honors College presents its community with a challenging well-rounded liberal arts education, and a newly demonstrated promise for the future.
“Speaking for myself, many of the faculty who joined us, and I daresay some of the students, this was an opportunity of a lifetime,” said Dean Mech. “If you look around this entire nation, how many new campuses are going up? How many colleges are being established? How many chances does an individual have to build something from scratch? To have been a part of that, to see this come to this stage, has been a remarkable experience.”
