Honors and Scholars Program is a four-year program that allows students to take challenging honors courses, provides them access to special programs and speakers, and lets them register for classes before all other students.
While many students are familiar with the program, not every student knows about the Honors Program Student Committee (HPSC).
“The honors office was looking for ways to offer leadership and real-life valuable experiences for our students where collaboration, communication, creativity, and workplace skills could be used during their four years here with us at Wilkes,” said Jennifer McLaughlin, the HPSC assistant director.
Members of the HPSC executive board use these skills to host academic, social and service oriented events during the year.
“HPSC is different from other clubs on campus because of its commitment to instilling the values of the Honors Program onto our honors students,” said Kaelin Hughes, senior political science and history major and the president of HPSC.
“The program is committed to leadership, scholarship, community, along with other values, and our job as a board is to provide those opportunities for these students through our different opportunities.”
Leadership skills are not the only benefit to joining HPSC.
“They earn a participation point for being on the team and they also earn additional funding for experiences such as study abroad, research, and internship opportunities for each term served,” said McLaughlin.
Honors students are required to earn two of these participation points every academic year to remain in good standing. They can earn these points at HPSC events.
“I learned that HPSC means a lot to me and I want it to be successful!” said Hughes. “We are leaders within the program, and it is extremely important to me that our events reflect quality leadership and encourage other honors students. I learned that I am a capable leader and can successfully run and encourage a board of students dedicated to the same values as I am.”
HPSC is not open to all students because of the club’s focus on the Honors Program. However, some events are open to everyone. One of Hughes’s favorite events, a semester-long donation drive for Give Kids the World, a non-profit based in Florida, is open to all students and faculty. Other events are more specialized.
“I think my favorite [event] is, and always will be, the registration night event that HPSC organizes each semester,” said McLaughlin. “At this event, older honors students can earn a point by helping younger students register for honors courses.”
Other honors events have students learning about the Sordoni Art Gallery, playing trivia or enjoying a trip to Lahey’s Family Fun Park.
As the semester progresses, HPSC has more planned, including a “Name That Tune” event for honors students on Oct. 20 and the annual registration night on Oct. 29. Those who are interested in attending events should keep an eye on WilkesToday for more information.