For the Students, By the Students: How the Arcadia Honors Program Fosters Community
During my time at Arcadia, the Honors Program has provided me with more than I could have imagined when I first came here: a supportive community, interesting classes, and fun events, among other aspects. As such, when I began my senior year, I wanted to give back to the Honors community.
In my junior year, I applied to be a member of the “Powers That Bee” (PTB, for short), a group that acts as student president for the program. Helene Klein, the director of the program, offered me the position of “Bee of Outreach.” Very quickly, I began to work with Helene, as well as Carole Loeffler, the program’s assistant director, Chloe Fox, the “Bee of Belonging,” and Joce Royal, the “Bee of Fun and Fulfillment.”
As one of the three members of the PTB, I have always considered how I can provide comfort, enjoyment, and support to the students of the program. I am a longtime involved member of the program – I’ve been a first-year Honors mentor, a member of our event planning committee, and a peer mentor for the Honors-designated EN101 course – but I am also a student. I understand the struggles that students go through, what we need to thrive as both students and people, the events we want to have, and the fears we may have.
Ultimately, because of my experience as both a student and an active Honors member, I felt I could use my knowledge to support students. Like the other two student presidents, I work with some of our student committee leaders (Senior Citizen Social, Social Media Team, and Community Outreach coordinators) to brainstorm events and create a plan for the semester. Joce, who works with our Murder Mystery committee to put on our annual show while playing a character in the show, agreed with seeing themselves as a support system. “Helping with Murder Mystery beyond just my role in the show was my favorite part and made me feel like I had more impact on my favorite event,” Joce explained.
Our role is to provide comfort; sharing ideas with another student is oftentimes much easier than speaking to a faculty member. Helene understood this, which is why she sees the PTB’s existence as such a boon for the program. When asked about the origins of the PTB, she wrote, “I really wanted to expand that to make sure this program was an immersive experience that gave rise to a community that enjoyed and supported one another. [The PTB] are touchpoints into the heartbeat of what is going on student wise in the program.”
The PTB is working to create an inviting environment for Arcadia’s current students, but that is not our only job. We are also constantly thinking about how to support future Honors students – those who will be in the program or our positions once we graduate. The time is quickly arriving when we meet with Helene and Carole to discuss the next set of PTB members. In addition, we are working alongside committee leaders to build the foundation for future success for the committees. For example, I am working closely with Community Outreach’s coordinators to restructure the committee, so that we can host events that matter to students. The Senior Citizen Social coordinators are working tirelessly to revive our annual senior citizen prom in a post-lockdown world while also providing the groundwork for future student leaders to replicate the event.
In an interview with Joce, they emphasized our goals to create a foundation for the future. At our bi-weekly committee check-in (which all Honors Students are invited to!), we have a section dedicated to student input. These “Buzzworthy Brainstorms” are a space for any Honors student to tell the PTB directly their suggestions and feedback regarding past, present, or future events. Joce further explained that the Brainstorms “are great spaces to hear feedback about how things have been, and it’ll really help us with how we leave the program once we’ve graduated.”
Helene further explains the PTB’s ability to shape the future of Honors: “Students who graduate in three years will mention you, Chloe, and Joce for making them feel welcomed, or getting them excited to be here. Also, as I have said, the PTB is often responsible for bringing on new initiatives that serve the wider program. You are all passionate about prospective students. Your energy energizes the program.”
What I hope that any student – whether current or prospective – who is interested in becoming involved with the program understands is that we really are a student-focused community. Students make decisions, we support one another, we collaborate, we share our stories, and we build the foundation on which the program stands. The PTB’s existence is built on the idea that students benefit from having the help of other students to succeed. As Helene puts it, “We could not have the program we do without the energy and dedication of the PTB and the rest of council. We are lucky to have so many awesome [students] who want to serve in these various roles.”
The one final idea I want potential and current Honors students to know is that the PTB are here for you. We want to hear your ideas, suggestions, questions, and even just get to know you! Joce explains it best: “As the Bee of Fun and Fulfillment, I want to ‘bee’ welcoming, so don’t be afraid to ask us questions, talk to us, and help us know what people want to see in the program.”
