Students in Arcadia’s Honors Program showcased their semester-long projects at the HONORS PROJECTions event on November 21. Held in the Commons Meeting Rooms and accessible via Zoom, the cohort of Honors students presented their work, experiences, and outcomes to the community.

As part of the Honors Program graduation requirements, students undertake self-guided, semester-long projects outside their major disciplines. Each student collaborates with a mentor connected to their project’s focus—this could be a faculty member, staff member, community expert, or another advisor. Throughout the process, students engage with peers to refine their ideas and enhance their projects. The goal is to encourage the exploration of personal passions beyond the scope of senior capstone projects.

Junior Psychology major on the pre-PT track Claire Newberry presented her Honors project, Stitches & Stories, at the event. Inspired by her background in crochet, she explored the art of needlework by learning cross-stitch, knitting, and embroidery. She interviewed others about their needlecraft experiences, gathered advice, and documented the journey on a website she created.

“Learning new needlecraft is not easy, even with somewhat of a background, so I had to give myself grace and time, without getting too frustrated and giving up,” said Newberry. “I also tend to be a perfectionist, and learning something new means you’re not going to be a pro at it, and that was definitely something I needed to learn to be okay with.”

This semester she balanced six courses and coordinated the Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadowcast on Halloween, forcing her to learn more about time management and prioritization.

“It’s important for the Honors Program to require this project because it forces you to learn both hard and soft skills,” Newberry added. “I learned how to do some pretty cool forms of needlecraft and how to create a website, but I also significantly bettered my time management skills and my patience. It was fun to organize and execute a project of my own, but most of all it taught me a lot that I may not have learned in a more traditional class.”

Ian Lang, a junior Chemistry major and Pre-Forensic Science student presented his Honors project, “The Unsilent Film.” He reimagined the 1943 silent film “Meshes of the Afternoon” by adding sound effects to the original work through editing and foley work.

“I was inspired to edit this film because I am passionate about movies and know how much sound adds emotions to the watcher. I wanted to bring that emotion and suspense to this thriller from the 40s, which wasn’t originally there,” Lang explained. “Editing one minute of the 14-minute movie took about 45 minutes to an hour and fifteen minutes long, depending on the content.”

His project allowed him to learn more about video editing and sound design, something that he doesn’t typically explore in his studies.

“I never thought I would edit, but I was able to with this class,” said Lang. “Most projects are dreadful for other classes, but this project was something I enjoyed sitting down and doing. It really helps students grow and try something new, which could ignite a spark of interest in something that they might not have done without this class.”

Junior Healthcare Administration major, Dayanira Velazquez-Mendez took a more introspective approach to the project. Inspired by memories dating back to as early as five years old, she curated a collection of poetry titled “The Doves Embrace: Finding Peace in Life’s Storms” which explores impactful moments from her life.

“My experience in this project was difficult, uncovering emotions that I never thought I would face,” said Velazquez-Mendez. “I felt intimidated by the thought of people’s reactions when reading my poems but as I got towards the end I felt free like a dove. I was able to heal a part of me and to understand that these moments don’t define me. I’ve accepted that this chapter of my life is done and I needed to open a new one filled with happiness.”

At the HONORS PROJECTions event, she read her poem “How Could I Ever Hate You?” which is the final piece in the collection. The entire collection can be read here.

“I believe that it is important for the Honors Program to require this project because each student deserves the chance to discover something new for themselves,” Velazquez-Mendez added. “Whether it be therapeutic, a life-long dream, or simply ‘Where can this lead me?’ This project shows one’s dedication and commitment. Overall this could be someone’s big moment to tell, at a job interview, a fun fact, or inspiring others to discover a new side to them.”

The full list of student presenters and their projects can be found here.