Self-Made and Flourishing

Alina DeVoogd

"My experience in the Honors Program has supplemented my education to make me a better analyst in not only my discipline but in a variety of contexts. It’s helped me learn to break from the status quo around me and led me to find my passions. It’s a valuable experience that can’t necessarily be quantified. Being in this program reminds me of how capable I am and gives me opportunities to rise above in academics and leadership. As I prepare for my thesis I am reminded I am a part of a community of scholars who support me. We are challenged so we can grow. Without the study abroad scholarship I wouldn’t have been able to study in Peru for a summer, helping me advance my Spanish. I’ve connected with faculty through the program, and they have helped me in a variety of facets. I am a better scholar and more prepared for whatever the future holds because of my experience as an Honors student."

Brianna Meyer

"As a freshman, I was worried that I would be lost in the sea of students. Being accepted into the Honors Program provided me with opportunities to succeed socially and academically as a History and French double major at SVSU and prepared me for graduate school at the University of Alabama. Honors housing and shared coursework helped me make a group of close friends who supported me throughout my college experience. Taking honors courses that focused on writing, research, and critical thinking prepared me for upper-level coursework. Attending events and volunteer opportunities through the Honors program and Honor Corps boosted my confidence and increased my professionalism. My next steps were to participate in the Roberts Fellowship and work as a Peer Career Advisor. For ambitious students with dreams of pursuing graduate studies, the Honors program is a crucial experience in your college journey at SVSU."

Elizabeth Kennedy

"Being a part of the Honors Program at SVSU has been instrumental to my professional and academic development. Not only has the Honors Program introduced me to many other like-minded students who are academically-inclined, but it has also provided classes that encourage critical thinking and have caused me to broaden my perspective on a large number of social issues. Each Honors course is unique and customized to lead students along in the process of writing a senior thesis. These advanced courses taught me research methods and analytical thinking techniques that have been beneficial to me as I begin my investigation into my thesis topic."

Danielle Musselman

"The Honors Program played an integral role in my successes at Saginaw Valley and beyond. It helped me foster important contacts with professors - My first professor became my mentor for the rest of my career at SVSU and encouraged me to take advantage of opportunities, such as interning for an attorney. The Honors Program allowed me to take classes that explored ideas not necessarily in my field. For example, learning about Russian literature, the power dynamics within architectural design, and linguistics. This program provided me the opportunity to write a thesis that could genuinely impact people. I was able to find a way to merge Political Science and Communication in order to address the serious issue of human trafficking within Michigan and rural communities. Through the classes I took, the professors I met and the thesis I wrote, the Honors Program helped me get into an amazing law school that I am honored to attend."

Gone Abroad

• Katie Gall: Iceland and England
• Kaylee McDonald: Japan
• Victoria Phelps: Boston, U.S.A.
• Kyle. G. Havens: Greece
• Caitlin Durkee: The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
• Alina DeVoogd: Spain
• McKenna M. Daniel: Florence, Italy
• Kasey Curtis: Cayman Islands
• Mia Berlanga: Costa Rica
• Brianna Summers: China
• Claire Oswalt: India
• Elizabeth R. Kennedy: Ireland
• Jessica Hurley: Argentina

Doctoral Programs

• Victoria Riley: Doctoral program at Clemson University (SC) in biology to study autism (creatine transporter deficiency syndrome—the most common form of autism in males) and possible preventative treatments.
• Alissa C. Rhode: Doctorate at Ohio University in physical therapy, graduate assistantship with a clinical education professor starting in fall 2018.
• Phillip Markey: Medical doctorate program at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, "America's Medical School," in Bethesda, Maryland in fall 2018 and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in spring of 2018.
• Melissa Frasca: Doctorate at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Research Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, fall 2018.

Armed Forces

• Nikolas Berkobein: Interning with Congressman Dan Kildee’s office in Saginaw, joining Americorps before joining the Peace Corps.
• Phillip Markey: Medical doctorate program at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, "America's Medical School," in Bethesda, Maryland in fall 2018 and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in spring of 2018.

Share Your Honors Program Outcomes

Share your outcomes and experiences during your time in the Honors Program and your successful endeavors after graduation!

Share