Elections for the Honors Executive Council begin March 30. The whole campus greatly benefits from the work of the Council, but many don’t really know what it is or what it does. Let me explain.
The Council is made up of eight elected positions filled by honors students. There are the positions you’d normally expect like president and secretary but also some rather unique ones like the directors for community service and student recruitment.
Together, these eight elected officers help provide student leadership to the Honors Program. This happens in many different ways: from assisting with the annual honors freshman retreat to representing the Honors Program at majors fairs and planning some of JBU’s most beloved events, such as the Venue. Two council members also sit on the honors faculty committee as student representatives.
Serving on the Council is an exciting and fulfilling experience. Officers get to work together as a team toward a common goal and see their dreams go from ideas to reality. Through it all, they grow in skills such as teamwork, leadership, organization and conflict resolution.
But perhaps the best benefit to being on the Council is the privilege of working closely with the Honors Program administration and staff. Professors Trisha Posey and Jessica Wilson, and staff members Maria Lehr and Glenda Manos, are an outstanding team and wonderful examples of what it means to be Christ-like leaders. Some of my fondest memories of when I served on the Council were simply learning from them, and I know that everyone who serves on the Council grows immensely through close interaction with them.
Each spring, the Honors student body elects new officers to replace those leaving (such as those graduating or studying abroad). This is an exciting opportunity for more students to experience the privilege and opportunity for growth while being on the Council.
When it comes down to it, Honors is all about opportunities. Whether it is challenging classes to stimulate the mind, structure and mentoring to research and write an undergraduate thesis or the chance to present papers at regional and national conferences, Honors provides opportunities to prepare students to glorify God with their talents and skills. Just like other parts of the Honors Program, these open Council positions are also a valuable opportunity to learn, grow and be impacted for life.
So, to those running in the elections beginning March 30, congratulations on choosing such a wonderful organization to serve! And to all honors students, I urge you to vote in the Council elections and be a part of something bigger than yourself.
If you’re in honors and either weren’t nominated or you were but don’t win, I encourage you to look into serving the program in another way such as becoming a Council associate, volunteering at an event or becoming a Gateway mentor for one of the Honors Gateway sections next semester.
Serve, vote and contribute to the wonderful Honors Scholars Program.
Wadsack is a senior majoring in international business. He can be reached at wadsackj@jbu.edu.