The University of Rio Grande’s Honors Program works to engage gifted students through specialized curriculum, honors seminars, and a capstone project that challenges all perceptions to achieve maximum potential. Each year, the program’s seniors present their senior projects to faculty, administration and classmates on campus. The program has announced this year’s group — Kaylynn Bell, Taylor Grubb, Lucy Williams, Kelsey Miller and Katie Higgins — have successfully completed their presentations for 2019.
Bell, a sports and exercise science major from Hillsboro, focused her presentation, “Hear Me Out, Decreasing Numbers to Increase Numbers,” on the research and data behind the ways lowered tuition makes college more appealing to students and increases student retention. She said believes everyone should feel that higher education is an opportunity available to them.
“This project came from a personal experience of seeing people I knew not returning to college the next fall because they felt like they couldn’t afford tuition. I feel very grateful and lucky to be one of the ones who’s making it through college with little debt, and I want to be able to share that experience with other students who don’t feel like they have that opportunity,” Bell said. “I believe college should be in reach for everyone, so I’m glad I was able to do this project through the honors program because it allowed me to have this conversation with our campus. This project also gives the rest of Rio the chance to see what goes into the Honors Program and what we’ve been working toward the past four years.”
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Honors Program Director Dr. Jennifer Lackey said she is proud of the work the Rio Grande Honors Program students put in during their final year at Rio and wishes them luck for their futures.
Submitted by Jessica Patterson, communications specialist, University of Rio Grande.
