DALLAS, Pa. — At Penn State Wilkes-Barre, each individual’s interests and abilities are nurtured to help the student achieve their full potential. For some students, that means adding more challenges to their academics by joining the honors program at the campus. The program focuses on sustainability and what that means to the campus and the broader world.

Co-coordinators and sisters Ann and Erin Brennan oversee the program. Ann is the campus’ assistant chief academic officer and also serves as an associate teaching professor of English, while Erin is an associate teaching professor of business.

After the COVID-19 lockdown and resultant changes to many academic programs at universities across the world, the Brennans said they took the opportunity to evaluate the honors program and ensure it was meeting the needs of Penn State Wilkes-Barre students.

“Erin and I engaged in a variety of conversations with students — particularly high-achieving students — to see what they were looking for. We wanted to be able to give them challenges and opportunities that meet their needs and interests, and we know many of them are concerned about the future of our planet and how they can make an impact,” Ann said.

After consulting with the students, they spoke with other honors coordinators at comparably sized campuses within Penn State, as well as other local private universities, to learn more about what honors programs looked like at those campuses.

“Our goal is to offer a cohesive program and bring in students as a cohort,” Erin said. “By progressing as a cohort through the program, they will get the benefit of developing meaningful relationships, spending time together and learning from each other inside and outside of the classroom.”

The program includes an academic component, an enrichment component and a service component, blending the three pieces to create a unique and fulfilling experience for honors students.

As part of the academic component, students will take a designated section of "First-Year Seminar" with either Ann or Erin beginning in the fall semester. While all Penn State students are required to take "PSU8," a course designed to help with their transition to college, the honors section is slightly longer and will focus on what it means to be an honors student.

The honors program is available to all undergraduate students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, whether they stay at the campus or transition to another campus to complete their degree. They will receive a certificate upon completion of the program as well as honors credits on their transcript. Students who choose to complete their degree at University Park can apply for the Schreyer Honors Program. While Penn State Wilkes-Barre students will not automatically be accepted into that program, several previous campus honors students have gone on to becom Schreyer Scholars.

“These students are getting the academic rigor and service component of our honors program, and those parts will help distinguish them should they choose to apply for Schreyer,” Ann said. “They also complete a CV as part of our program and have assistance from Erin and me with their applications.”

Benefits of the honors program

By progressing as a cohort through the honors program, students will work with peers who are likeminded in their academic motivations and are studying a variety of topics, exposing them to a wide set of people and ideas. They are able to work closely with each other and faculty members who provide one-on-one mentorship in an honors class.

“This helps them be able to see and work through problems through a different lens,” Ann said. “Students with many different interests get to work together and learn from each other. The setup also allows students to build meaningful relationships with their faculty members, giving them a great foundation for their education.”

Those relationships enable honors students to build a network starting from the beginning of their time in college. They also develop a foundation of enrichment and service to their community, as well as an appreciation for cultural experiences.

“Honors students also benefit from having the body of work they put in recognized,” Erin said. “When graduate schools or employers look at your GPA and see you’ve earned it while taking honors classes, they understand it’s elevated.”

Sustainability and the honors program

Sustainability is a large focus of the honors program as the campus prepares its students to be active citizens of the world they live in.

“The concept of sustainability is so grounded in Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s mission,” Erin said. “We realize that our students are poised to be leaders in their future, which is going to require them to have a good knowledge of sustainability. The honors program and the knowledge they gain here will allow them to give a great contribution to a sustainable future.”

All honors students take "SUST 242N," an interdisciplinary course that combines humanities and behavioral sciences. The course examines the concepts and key issues of sustainability, addressing central issues of sustainability in society today. For the honors cohort, the course will include experiential learning and service work on which students will serve as project managers. This year, Ann is teaching the course.

“Our students are on board with the sustainability goal and looking to be involved in ways like these,” she said. “We want to keep up with our students and their expectations. We know they value these topics and are thinking about the environment and socioeconomic issues, so we want to make sure this is embedded in the curriculum.”

Through the interdisciplinary courses they take as part of the program, honors students earn credit toward a minor in sustainability leadership.

Special outing

As the enrichment component for last year’s cohort, honors students were accompanied by Penn State Wilkes-Barre faculty and staff, including Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Lynda Goldstein, on a bus trip to New York City in November. The outing included a meal together and exploration of the city, culminating in a visit to see “Some Like It Hot” on Broadway. For several of the students, it was their first visit to New York, and for many of them, it was their first Broadway show.

The trip was organized with the assistance of Jonathan Pineno, lecturer of music and art, and Iris Ouellette, lecturer of English, who holds a bachelor’s degree in theater. Prior to the visit, Pineno shared his music knowledge with the students and Ouellette led a discussion about what to expect on Broadway and in New York, theater etiquette, background of the play and gave insights into theater productions.

“We have intentionally created a collaboration of partners on campus to make this an interdisciplinary program,” Ann said. “It was wonderful to be able to bring in some others from our campus with expertise and skills in these areas. It was a good experience for our students and faculty and staff to be able to connect with each other. We want to continue to connect these students with people on campus who they might not otherwise get to work with.”

Student perspective

Lizzeth Lezama-Luna, an international politics major entering her second year, said she decided to join the honors program after learning about it during New Student Orientation last year.

“I joined because I like to have certain goals and achieve them,” she said. “I feel the honors program helps me keep myself accountable and reach those goals. Learning about sustainability in this program has made me a more well-rounded student.”

She attended an interest meeting at the beginning of the fall semester, where she was able to meet about 15 of her classmates as well as the faculty leading the program. She said the ability to work closely with other students and faculty has been a highlight of the honors program for her.

“I really like how I got closer with other people in my class. I knew a lot of them already because it’s a smaller campus, and in the honors program, I was able to talk to people in all different majors and make friends with them,” Lezama-Luna said. “I was able to be close with my professors and meet with them often, as they were always very approachable. So I got to learn from professors and the people around me.”

When she transitions to University Park, Lezama-Luna is considering applying for the Schreyer Honors Program.

“I know they have a big emphasis on research and I find that very interesting, so it’s a challenge I may put myself up to,” said Lezama-Luna, who said she hopes to work in the legal field in foreign affairs such as immigration law or international relations.

Joining the honors program

Students can self-identify to join the honors program during New Student Orientation and must meet the standards of the program, including maintaining a 3.4 GPA, completing at least seven honors credits each academic year, completing a capstone experience, presenting at the Celebration of Scholarship research fair and participating in service activities and enrichment experiences.

Students are welcome to speak with Ann or Erin Brennan about their interest in the program. The program is currently accepting applications for the 2024-25 cohort. Applicants must be prospective first-year students who will enroll at Penn State Wilkes-Barre in fall 2024. Applicants will be evaluated on their academic achievements, commitment to service and engagement in leadership activities, as well as two reference letters and a 1,000-word essay.