Hello, I'm Dr. Seth Baker, the director of the Honors College here at Miami University. I'm excited to welcome you to this portion of today's open house proceedings. And I'm very happy to share with you more information about our brand new Honors College. The Honors College is a new learning opportunity for students here at Miami. It will begin in Fall Semester 2021, which means that you would be in the inaugural class of honors students to proceed through the Honors College. Now Miami has had an outstanding University Honors program since the late 1950s. But the reason that the university has decided to launch your Honors College at this moment, is that we want to provide students with a more individualized experience that relates to undergraduate research and to a broader, more intensive engagement with ideas and their consequences. The Honors College will be a rigorous academic experience, we're hoping the most rigorous academic experience of any Honors Program or college in the nation. But at the same time, we want you to be able to have the kinds of cool and extracurricular learning opportunities that make your experience in college even more valuable. That way we want you to provide intellectual leadership in areas such as teaching, presenting your research. And in working with your fellow students on service and leadership projects in which you're using your creative thinking skills to solve problems that are prevalent in the 21st century. We want the Honors College to be an experience that is a differentiator for you in terms of not only selecting Miami, but also in terms of the kind of learning that you would be engaging in once you're here on campus in Fall 2021. Through the years we've had scores of talented and engage on our students who have graduated from Miami, and gone on to lives and careers and meaning and purpose. What has been exciting for me in working with these students through the years is to see how they have grown through their participation in honors. While they've been here at Miami. I could talk all day about the benefits and opportunities that are available to you by joining the Honors College. Certainly the opportunity for undergraduate research, the chance to live in a residential community, with your fellow students in your first and second years. And the chance to be mentored by Miami's top faculty are at the heart of what we hope to provide to you as a student in the Honors College. But I would rather you hear from some of our top students, those students who have been engaged in meaningful intensive research students who have been leaders and servants here on campus and in our community, and students who have engaged in creative expression and international study. While they have been here at Miami, I think they can provide you with the best insight into what lays in store for you. While you are an honor student here at Miami.

Hi, my name is Chanel and I'm a junior here at Miami. I'm majoring in biology with a co major in pre medical studies and minors in Spanish in general business on campus. I'm a tour guide, as well as supplemental instructor through the Grinnell Learning Center in undergraduate research assistant in a biology research lab here on campus. I'm also part of a social sorority, a member of MetLife, which helps bring health care to underserved communities around the world and a student volunteer EMT through the Oxford Fire Department. This past summer I accepted a spot in the undergraduate summer Scholars program because I really wanted to spend a summer here on campus because I do love Oxford so much. It was a really great opportunity to reflect on my two years here at Miami as well as set goals for my next two years. This is such an incredible place and it's really become my home. I knew it was my home after I wanted to come back to school during fall break and Thanksgiving break in January term instead of wanting to go home like I did my freshman year. I can tell it was really my home because I feel so supported by so many facets here. Not only did my honors advisor stopped me on the sidewalk, the first month of classes my freshman year, and asked me how I was doing and adjusting when I didn't even think she knows my name. But I also get coffee pretty regularly with one of my Spanish professors just so we can chat and catch up because I don't have the opportunity to take his class anymore. Also, my friends here are incredible, but two of my best friends just because they happen to live down the hall in the Honors LC and I also met one of my best friends. My sophomore year when we were roommates. We always laugh about the first night we spent together in the room, she ended up getting the stomach flu sound become one of our fondest memories. Specifically, as an honor student, I've been given some really cool opportunities to find new passions to get architecture course my first semester here, and I never thought that the coursework that I was learning in that class could ever relate to my current studies or things that I want to do in the future. But when I reached out to my professor and asked if I could write an honors extension, not only was he excited about the opportunity, but he really helped me hone on a subject that would be interesting to me, ended up writing a paper about the impact that healing gardens can have on patient stay and patient outcome and their effectiveness if they're built before the hospital or after the fact, because I do want to go into health care, it was really interesting to see how something i thought was completely unrelated could really be worked into my future career goals. On top of that, the Honors Program reached out to me and asked if I would be a student panelist for the makeup Miami days, not only was a great confidence boost to know that they thought I could be a good representation for the program. But it was also really fun to speak about my experiences and connect with students and their families as they were visiting campus that encouraged me to summer as well to apply to be a tour guide, which is something I've been able to carry over to the semester as well. It's such a bright spot in my week when I get to walk families around campus and tell them my fun stories, and also just get their questions answered. The tour guides I have when I was visiting during my senior year of high school really showed me that this was my home. So just having the opportunity to pass that forward and potentially lead someone here to have a great college experience is really rewarding.

I'm grant curry, and I'm an interactive media studies and professional writing double major. I am the recruitment chair for st metallic Delta, which is the English Honor Society on campus. And I'm also the president of an organization called helping other people every day. Last fall, I started an organization called helping other people every day, which is basically an unofficial service organization that focuses on random acts of kindness rather than organized service. And my inspiration for making this club goes way back to grade school. And in grade school, I was the kid that would not really have any plans for recess. So we would eat lunch and then go to recess. And I would always stay behind for an extra 2020 minutes or so. And that would help on the lunch ladies clean on the tables. And I i've always craved relationships in my life. So I've always valued my relationships with people even though strangers or you know, lunch ladies, and we then you know talk all the time. It's like you know, we were really good friends, but there was just it was just enough to show up every day cleaning tables, you know that you can feel that there's something there you know. And I enjoy doing that a feel good. And I enjoyed having this some sort of connection with somebody that I never even talk to on a regular basis. Similarly, there is a a worker that would pick up cones in the parking lot after all the kids have gone home. His name was Jimmy and Jimmy and I always pick up cones at the end of the day. So my parents couldn't get to school to pick me up until about 3040 minutes after school ended. So I would just go outside and help Jimmy pick up cones and we chat and talk and same thing with the lunch lady. We don't really know each other very well. But it just is common activity that we did together that kind of bonded us. And I've kind of carried that spirit with me throughout high school now in college. So I've placed a lot of value, not on organized service, but in doing what I can individually. I went to a Catholic High School and we had a service as a required graduate as a graduation requirement. And in order to graduate you have to have a certain amount of service hours per year. And I never really enjoyed going to the ministry and service office and signing up to go to the food bank and back boxes or anything like that. I always enjoyed seeing the people that I was serving directly rather than being told Yeah, you're helping with this. And both types of service are important, but I lean more towards the personal side of, of serving people. And I guess I've kind of it goes back into me liking to have strong relationships in my life. So when I got to college, that by me, there's no, I can't imagine a college campus that wouldn't benefit from students looking out for each other, and just wanting to be a support system for each other. And I feel that maybe in this as in today's age, this isn't a realistic ideology to hold. But I think that it would be really awesome if one day we can nurture a culture that allows a cooperative spirit to exist.

Hi, I'm Vicki Slansky. And this is my story. on campus. I'm involved in stage slough, which is a musical theater organization, I directed their last show and I also their workshop chair. I'm also in the university academic Scholars Program. Last semester, I was their president in the semester before that I was their secretary. And I'm also a group fitness instructor on campus. And I'm a tour guide honors ambassador, is there anything else I was a scholar leader for a little bit. And that's it. So I guess my story kind of started when I was a first year here on campus, I came in and I very much didn't really know what I wanted to do. I knew I was good at chemistry. And I knew I was good at math. So I was like, let's go be a chemical engineer, just kind of jumping in and doing that from the get go. And I quickly found out that that was not for me. And one of the biggest things that helped me through that transition. And finding out what was best for me was having the Honors Program backing me throughout all of it. So back then the CC academic advisor was trialing banks, miking. He was really awesome. And he basically met with me, I think, at least once a month or something. And we always talked about my classes, what I really liked about them, what I didn't like about them, different things I was taking on campus that I really enjoyed. And from there, we kind of pieced together like, okay, like, what should I do? And where should I go? And when should I? What should I really study. And one of his big things for me was figuring out what I was passionate about, and what made me excited to continue to do as a career. And so eventually, I ended up doing software engineering, which I've really enjoyed. And I never actually coded before coming to college, which was,

so I never expected to be a coder or to be doing software engineering, and to eventually have a career in computer science. But then, on top of that, as well, also having the arts behind me throughout all that. So, coming before I came to Miami, a lot of colleges told me Hey, like, you can't get a theater minor and also be an engineering major. Like, that's never gonna happen. Like you're never gonna make it and in four years, you're gonna make it like No way. And Miami was always like, yeah, like, you want to be a theater minor, like, go for it, go do it. And I think it's something really special about our school is you look around and you see all these students are doing so many amazing things like some of my friends have like four majors three miters. There, that's insane. But but just being able to do anything you really want to and not having an if you want to go do it, like having the ability to go do it. And nobody really telling you No, you can't do that. Like that's not a that's not going to happen in four years, or that's not going to be great for your future. So I think we have a unique community of individuals and really inspiring people that surround all of us. And then for me, that really meant having a place where I can not only get the technical credibility I wanted for a future career, but also have that outlet for continuing the arts. So I mentioned stage left earlier and that has definitely kind of been my outlet for my last four years, three years. I'm a senior three years here. And getting to basically getting a group of people every every semester and make art and make crazy shows happen. And just for the love of theater and not for really anything any other reason has been a really, really great thing for me to have And not only realizing that I have that I'll live but also seeing that I can potentially like incorporate theater into my career. The theatre department here has also been a really great opportunity for me to get a minor and continue my passions in theater, I've gotten to try things that I never thought I would try. I always came in and I was like, Oh, I want to be an actor, I want to be an actress. And that's all I want to do. But being able to try things like scenic design, or choreography, has been a really incredible thing for me too, because I kind of realized like, oh, maybe I don't want to be an actor anymore. If I did continue on art path, like may may want to be a director or maybe I want to take my like software engineering background and combine that with like, scene design and do amazing things in that area. So I think, overall, like, I've learned that you can combine your passions and that even when you first come in, it might seem like, Oh, I have to do this one thing. And I have to like excel in that one thing throughout four years of my time here, that's really not the case. And you can kind of find success in anything you do as long as you find something that you're passionate about. And something that really inspires you to get up every morning and keep doing it over and over again, or keep exploring it and trying new things and just really finding your passions is overall, what I've learned in my time here so far, and I think something that is going to keep me

happy throughout my life. So

Hey there, my name is Austin tremor. temescal and this is my story. I'm an international First Year honors student from Bangkok, Thailand, majoring in mathematics and statistics with a minor in actuarial science. On campus I'm treasurer for three organizations, the first being spoon University, which is an online media publication about eating on and around campus green team which is sustainability slash environment org, and my Hepburn Hall community leadership team which is like Student Council but in a dorm environment. On top of that, I'm Captain of the honor squad intramural volleyball team and I work two jobs The first being student staffing, where we hire potential student applicants for campus service jobs, and catering, which is food related events, and service in general. On top of all my on campus involvement, I'm taking 22 credit hours. While most students take only 15 per semester, I'm trying to graduate early. And I draw mainly from one source of motivation, which is my mother. during middle school, my mom and I are both going through some dark times she just come back from work trip and Cambodia. And she got me this charm. It represents the sun and has two meanings. The first being to keep the evil dark spirits away for me. And the second being that represents me as a person as a bright and radiant light in her life. This charm being on me all times, you know day and night motivates me to try my best and keeps me from burning out. But Trump keeps me thinking of her and how she came to the US to Houston, Texas to get her graduate degree. How she did all these amazing things, got good grades, was very involved on campus had a great close knit group of friends. And it just makes me want to, you know, match up to her experience, if not do even better, and continually drives me to do my best and look forward to my future at Miami. During 11th grade of high school, I was in the US studying abroad as well. So this is not my first time pursue my education on the opposite side of the world alone. But having this charm on me and being able to connect with my family at a moment's notice over the internet keeps me from getting homesick, it makes me realize that college isn't as difficult as I built it up to be. And it motivates me to try my best and keeps me from getting burnt out. It makes me excited to continue my journey at Miami as an honor student.

I know that you're still at the beginning of the process of deciding where you're going to apply to attend college and spend your undergraduate years. I know that you're still trying to make a decision about the kinds of benefits and opportunities that are going to enhance your overall learning as an undergraduate student. The Honors College is designed so that we can work with you to provide you with a rigorous but meaningful academic experience. While you're here at Miami. I would encourage you to visit our website at Miami h.edu backslash honors where you can learn more More about the benefits and opportunities that are available to you as an honor student, as well as learning more about our academic programming, our undergraduate research, our residential college and the opportunities for faculty mentorship, I would also strongly encourage you to make your application to the Honors College by the December 1 priority deadline. That way, your application to the Honors College receives priority consideration as well as receiving priority consideration for merit aid. So on behalf of all of us on the Honors College staff, I want to tell you that we look forward to connecting with you in the weeks and months ahead as you're making your decision about where you're going to attend college. I know that we could certainly help you to think through the opportunities that are available to you here at Miami and in the Honors College. If you should have any questions at all, you can connect with us at honors at Miami. Oh h.edu. Otherwise, we look forward to meeting you this spring at our recruiting events. Thank you and love an honor