Honors College

Callista Mendoza always had an interest in politics, even from a young age. So when she decided to come to GCU and her first choice for a degree program wasn’t available, she decided Government was the best fit. That decision would lead her to her most recent opportunity, a contracted position as a field representative for the Leadership Institute.

For senior Hailey Borrowdale Mendez, the opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica and Ecuador for two semesters completely changed her life. In addition to improving her Spanish, her time in Costa Rica also helped strengthen her bond to God and establish a love for a country that she found so delightful, she hopes to return after graduating next spring. “I think it’s beautiful that GCU makes it a priority to have relationships with so many organizations and that they give their students the opportunity to get to know other cultures and to grow their perspective,” she said.

Emma Blair thought she wanted to pursue a career in education, but she discovered a love of politics after the Honors College introduced her to internships. Blair is working as a research intern for Speech First, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., that focuses on free speech on college campuses. It has given her a renewed appreciation for GCU’s emphasis on civil discourse and the First Amendment. “I think that’s one of the things that makes GCU’s campus so incredible,” she said.

In an academic year faced with a multitude of obstacles, including a global pandemic, GCU’s National Society of Collegiate Scholars made a name for themselves on a national level. For the second time since 2014, the GCU honors organization was named a Platinum Star Status Chapter for the 2020-2021 academic year and also won the second-place award for Virtual Member Engagement Star Status Merit. “It’s always exciting to achieve such an accomplishment and have this national recognition, but once you set the bar, you have a new bar,” said Honors College Associate Dean and chapter co-advisor Dr. Breanna Naegeli. “It’s not only continuing to meet those standards but to find ways to surpass that each year moving forward.”

Dante DeSimone was never a stranger to taking on a challenge, and that’s what made him perfect for his new role as a project manager for Intel. After graduating in April with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, DeSimone has transitioned from an intern at the company to a full-time employee who strives to make a difference in the field. But he also has strived to take part in a lot of different activities and learn many new skills.

For some, it takes a life time for their wildest dreams to come true. For recent Honors college Graduate Quyen Phan, his dream of landing a job with SpaceX came to fruition straight out of college. As a new Associate Engineer Phan hopes to be a trail blazer for fellow engineers graduating from the College of Science, Engineering and Technology. “I want to do good so I can prove that a GCU student can provide this much impact on the company,” Phan said. “I’m hoping that other future GCU students can come on board with me as well.”

It was a productive semester for students looking to attend graduate school as the Honors College wrapped up its Pre-Law and Pre-Health Professional, Academic and Career Programs. Both programs, one of which made its debut this semester, played a role in helping prepare students for what they can expect when it comes to graduate school. “From my point of view, it was very helpful and very informative,” said government student Madeline Landes, who attended all of the Pre-Law P.A.C. sessions this semester. “I would recommend this because I think it’s a very informative program.”

When the Honors Institute debuted with 59 students in 2013, no one could have known how far it would come just eight years later. As the University prepares to celebrate another graduating class, the Honors College will celebrate its own impressive accomplishment — surpassing 1,000 graduates. “It’s great that we’ve reached this milestone of 1,000 graduates, we are thrilled and ready to celebrate; but, this is definitely not the last chapter in our book,” said Honors College Associate Dean Dr. Breanna Naegeli. “There is plenty more to come, and we’re excited to keep challenging ourselves and our program to rise to the occasion.”

From natural deodorant to COVID-19 research, there was no shortage of impressive student presentations at this year’s CSET Research Symposium and Honors Showcase on Saturday. Honors finalists delivered in-person presentations while CSET finalists presented orally via Zoom. “It just goes to show how active and engaged our students were both inside and outside the classroom this year despite COVID-19 and limitations on what they could and couldn’t do,” Honors College Associate Dean Dr. Breanna Naegeli said.

The Honors College leaders showed last year that their teamwork goes beyond their work duties — five of them earned graduate degrees. Associate Dean Dr. Breanna Naegeli finished work on her doctorate, while Program Managers Dennis Williams, Cathleen Daly and Anna Cofrancesco and Program Development Specialist Faith Beatty all received their master’s degrees. “I feel as though this story illustrates the support we have for one another both personally and professionally,” Naegeli said.