Last November, a group of Honors College students had the chance to share their work on a national platform for the first time, and they describe the experience as “exciting, “thrilling,” and “impactful.”
At the 2024 National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) conference in Kansas City, seven students participated in three well-attended sessions. Two of the sessions covered two of the SCSU Honors College Capstone experiences — Community Engaged Research and International Study Abroad – which had been chosen in 2023 as sample syllabi for the NCHC website. All Honors College students are asked to complete one capstone project that shows off the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their time at Southern. For their capstone, they can choose from Community Engaged Research, International Study Abroad, or the Thesis option.
Also at the conference, a Southern Honors College student was one of 10 students chosen out of nearly 100 to participate in the conference “Fishbowl,” where honors college students from across the country share their experiences with honors education.
Professors Luke Eilderts of the World Languages and Literatures Department, Chelsea Harry of the Philosophy Department, and Terese Gemme of the Music Department and former Honors College director accompanied the students and also made their own presentations. “This conference draws a huge number of people from across the country,” said Eilderts. “The breadth of the conference is amazing,” said Harry. “There are so many students there, learning from each other.”
Both professors credit Gemme with championing the students’ attendance at the conference. Harry explains that in 2023, she attended the conference along with Gemme and Suzanne Huminski, associate director of sustainability in the Office of STEM Research and Innovation, and presented on the Community Engagement capstone. “It went well,” Harry says, “and we decided to bring students the next time.”
Fast forward to 2024, and Gemme applied again for the conference, writing the proposal and adding that the professors would bring students and have them talk about their experiences with the alternative capstones. Gemme, who led the Honors College for 25 years, is “one of those leaders who makes opportunities happen for other people,” said Harry. “She was instrumental in getting the students to the conference.”
Last year, Eilderts shepherded the students through the International Study Abroad capstone process, which is 6 credits, and worked with them on their post-study abroad experience. This can be a thesis-like research project or something more creative, he said, explaining, “it really varies.”
Harry developed the Community Engagement capstone, which is also 6 credits, and this process involves a research model based on collaboration with a community partner. The student chooses a plan, a partner, and a deliverable, and up to one quarter of students who complete their projects are eventually offered jobs by their community partners. Harry taught three cohorts of the course from 2020-2024.
The third capstone option is a thesis, which pairs Honors College students with SCSU faculty who share similar research interests and can provide knowledgeable and helpful guidance. Students choose their research topic and their faculty advisor.
Under Gemme’s leadership, Harry explained, the two alternative capstones — Community Engaged Research and International Study Abroad – were created for the Honors College, which made the Honors College much more attractive to students in the professional schools who might have otherwise opted out of the experience. “A thesis is sometimes thought to be irrelevant to students graduating from professional programs,” Harry said, but the alternative capstones gives these students more latitude in how to express what they have learned.
The students who attended the conference, the titles of their projects, and their brief comments on what it was like to participate in this national conversation follow.
Community Engaged Research Capstone
Lauren Lifrieri, ’26: “Adding CPR to the Sophomore Health Curriculum at Seymour High School”
“I was so honored to be a part of this conference as I got to meet so many wonderful people and hear so many amazing presentations. … The most valuable aspect for me was presenting my project to so many different people from all over the country, so hopefully they can take my idea and implement it into their own school program! … The most valuable aspect of my capstone was that I know a whole new generation of kids from my hometown will all be CPR certified, just by attending our local high school!”
Allison Rodriguez-Brown, ’25: “Creating the UndocuAlly Student Alliance”
“It felt so surreal to be able to present at a national conference. This was my first time at a conference outside of CT. The most valuable aspect of attending the conference was sharing my capstone. I loved sharing my experiences of creating the UndocuAlly Student Alliance, what the club is all about, and the impact it has been having on many people at SCSU and in the New Haven community. This capstone allowed me to increase my research abilities, to network with member of the SCSU and New Haven community, and to be an advocate for a very important social justice topic.”
Jacob Stephens, ’25, selected for the “Fishbowl”: “Consensus Filtering in Single-Cell Variant Calling”
“I am very honored I had the opportunity to represent Southern by participating in the Fishbowl. It was wonderful to participate in such a thoughtful discussion with peers just like me from around the country (and the world) about what “honors” really is, why it’s important, and how it could be better. The conference was a pivotal part of my experience at Southern. It was fun, yes, but more than that it was the culmination of all of my effort and initiative I invested into myself and my education. … I left with a sense of hope that, with some luck, our generation could move the world in the right direction, and that I have a role to play.”
International Study Abroad Capstone
Hannah Krutz, ’25: “Bienvenue au Québec: A Comprehensive Unit on the French Language and Quebec Culture”
“The most valuable aspects of the conference for me were being in a professional academic setting with peers and faculty who value academia as I do, and presenting to a larger audience of people I had never met before. Completing this type of capstone was extremely enriching, and I’m grateful the Honors College allows students flexibility in choosing their capstone format. … Finishing this project filled me with pride, especially knowing that I’ll be able to use this work in my future endeavors.”
Olivia Ortiz, ’25: “How Cultural Significance Impacts Butterfly Conservation”
“I did present at the conference, and it was one of the most impactful experiences I have had. … This was my first time being at a conference, let alone one on a national level. It was thrilling. … My project is very personal, and it holds great significance to me, and I hope it can do that for others as well. … I completed the Study Abroad capstone for the Honors College, and it completely transformed me as a student. … My passion for butterflies is one that has been life long and truly encapsulated everything I wanted from a capstone project. This experience has allowed me to learn and grow as a student and focus in on the research skills I have been taught during my time at Southern. This experience was not only one about researching butterfly conservation but researching myself.”
Ethan Sabetta, ’25: “Exploring Study Abroad Through the Lens of Music and Creative Writing”
“It was really exciting to have people from all over the country learning about what I did at Southern for my capstone. Having a chance to present my work in front of an audience was the most valuable part of the experience to me. It was rewarding for my capstone project to be more than just something between myself and my advisor. The most valuable aspect of the capstone project is the flexibility. I was able to turn my experiences into a collection of creative fiction and music, neither of which directly relate to my area of study. Since the goal of the Honors College is to create a body of well-rounded students, giving us an opportunity to explore more than a written thesis is vital.”
Thesis Capstone
Benjamin Martin, ’25: “Navigating the Israel-Palestine Conflict”
“I felt really honored to be selected for this conference, [and] being able to meet new people and connect more with the people I already knew was a really valuable aspect of this conference for me. … For the presentation, I talked a lot about how my project took its shape. I saw the process of completing this project as something really helpful for me … [it] taught me a lot…[it] showed me that I can complete a very large task if I set my mind to it [and] taught me how to navigate tough and very dense conversations and get the important parts of them.”
