Honors involvement:

• TA for Honors 100 (Fall 2016)
• Study abroad to Barcelona, Spain (Summer 2016)

Why did you decide to be an Honors 100 TA?

I’ve always enjoyed teaching and learning about teaching. I’ve always loved helping people improve and finding different ways to help them succeed, and that’s really the goal of the class. I get a lot of enjoyment out of being a role model, especially for my peers. Also, I might want to be a professor in the future; as a professor, of course, you have to teach a lot, so being a TA afforded me the opportunity to practice some of these skills and get some experience in the classrooom.

What's valuable about the HON 100 class?

Growth mindset, and passion and creativity.

I think these are the most important things inside and outside of the classroom. Growth mindset has to with life and how you can be a better learner and become a better person through learning more things and finding out better and more intriguing ways to see the world. Passion and creativity can help you learn how to engage and find meaning in the things that you do.

When you have these things, everything gets a lot easier. With growth mindset, you change your approach to learning. You see it as a way of improving, knowing that mistakes will be made and they’re acceptable. You learn to practice and have a desire to improve and grow your intelligence so when your passion and your creativity and your growth mindedness all come together, it’s a combination that makes learning and personal growth in all areas accelerate and become more efficient and enjoyable.

What is your favorite memory from your Honors College study abroad experience?

My favorite experience was being able to put myself in interesting and new environments where I was able to challenge myself while still enjoying myself in Spain. I was able to practice and talk to natives and people who live in the city while traveling with some of my friends. The best part was experiencing some of these things while also being able to practice and improve our skills. It was gratifying to see the result that we could easily start a conversation with someone in Spanish and easily be able to talk about anything and have ourselves be understood.

What did you gain from your Honors College study abroad experience?

I got to engage with a new group of students and faculty that were absolutely incredible in so many different ways. And that environment allowed me to learn so much about a topic that I already loved, so it made all the experiences that I had over there so meaningful to me as well as unforgettable in every way.

What is one piece of advice you would give to Honors College students?

Put yourself out there. Take advantage of all the opportunities that come by you and always keep your eyes open for them because anything can help you along the way. They can put you in better position to learn, achieve your goals, and succeed. I’ve had a lot of experience with that by opening myself up to different things and different opportunities.