UT Honors Program : Honors Alumni and Student Voices

"The Honors Program provides different routes to graduate school as well as selection guidance and practical, realistic ways to organize my options."
Laura Gibson, Drawing major; currently a student at The University of Chicago.

"The Honors Program at UT enabled me to make the most of my undergraduate education. Honors encouraged me to explore and develop my interests through independent research and extracurricular activities. More than simply expanding my academic horizons, I was also able to discover who I am and what I want to do in the world, because Honors emphasizes a wholistic perspective that involves learning AND ACTING. Some of my most precious and lasting friendships have come from the Honors Program, both fellow students and professors that I continue to keep in touch with, even from Pakistan. The Honors Program made my undergraduate career more than educational; it was challenging, changing, and, fun."
Anita Malley, 1999 UT Graduate (Economics), M.A. George Washington University (International Development Studies). Current job: Emergency Response Manager for Save the Children US. Working with newly-arrived Afghan refugees in Balochistan province, Pakistan, providing educational and recreational activities for children. 

"By providing leadership, service, cultural and research opportunities, the Honors Program prepared me to apply for a Fulbright Grant to study in Germany. Participation in weekly Brown Bags as a presenter and audience member let me see what other students were doing and broadened my horizons. I took advantage of Honors Program grant money to support my research and to present it. In addition, the Honors Program gave me information about scholarships and fellowships, while also providing advice in how best to apply for them.  I truly believe that my active participation in the Honors Program was key to my successful Fulbright Grant application."
Louisa R. Seifert, 2001 UT Graduate (Psychology and Biology).

"The University of Toledo Honors Program gave me the opportunity to seek a challenging undergraduate education including both research and leadership positions. The Honors Program allowed me to take interesting courses and encouraged me to apply for scholarships. With the encouragement of the Honors Program, I was able to [assist in research toward] a doctoral thesis in my first year, further my research under an NSF grant, travel to national conferences, and to successfully apply for a Fulbright Scholarship. During my undergraduate education, I also participated in several organizations in which I eventually attained leadership positions. I felt liberated to pursue the fields that interested me and to approach faculty and staff in order to make any necessary extra arrangements. In short, the University of Toledo Honors Program made my undergraduate career a success."

Jason M. Bechtel, 2000 UT Graduate (Computer Science and Engineering).

Jason and Louisa were married in June of 2001. They left Toledo in September of 2001 to travel to Freiburg, Germany where they are both conducting research under the auspices of Fulbright grants.