Retrospective

WHO AM I?
How Honors has prepared me for my professional life.

When I received the news that I was accepted into the Honors program in the spring semester of 2023, I believed that it would be a great addition to my resumé and a reflection of my academic success. Little did I know, it would become a two-year long period of immense growth personally, professionally, and academically. This program has encouraged me to pursue my goals with eagerness, determination, and confidence in the capabilities that I bring to the work I do. 

As an emerging creative marketer and graphic designer, the Honors program has assisted me in strengthening these abilities and values:

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• Determination: I began the Honors program in fall of 2024 and completed one semester before breaking from classwork for a semester for my internship at Walt Disney World. When I returned, I was informed that continuing in Honors would be an extreme challenge, as I still was in need of several credits to graduate with both distinctions that I desired–Kelley Honors scholar and Honors College scholar. I made the decision to continue pursuing both of these paths and faced many obstacles, challenges, and hardships along the way–but staying determined is what got me through and allowed me to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

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• Time-management: This is a concept that I have struggled with for many years, and I believe that my skills drastically improved over my time spent in Honors. With the extra projects I was doing in class to earn Honors credit, I was put in a scenario where I was now having to create my own schedules and deadlines rather than a professor dictating them for me. This has transferred over to my career, allowing me to better allocate time for each project I do and weigh my priorities in order to keep a more balanced workload.

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• Goal-setting: I have always been a visionary and held myself to high standards, but Honors pushed me to make conscious efforts to turn my visions into my reality. Upon being accepted into the Honors program, I felt a sense of accomplishment for the work that I had put in through both high-school and college. This sense of accomplishment was the kick-starter for my drive to reach for opportunities in every area that I could. Post-acceptance is when I decided to apply for my dream internship and was then accepted to my now internship (March 2025) which includes my passion–graphic design. I had always had these goals for myself, but Honors made me truly believe that I was capable of reaching them.

H200
A reflection of my work in my first Honors course.

Looking back at my "I Am" statement that I wrote in my very first Honors class, nearing the end of my last semester of college, I believe that this statement still rings true to who I am at the core. I have remained a diligent student throughout my academic career and have done so since I was young. I believe that I place even more emphasis on fostering connections with others than I did at the time I wrote this statement, and I am even more creative in the ways that I do so now. I embrace kindness and empathy still, but I have gained valuable skills of setting boundaries in a way that aligns with those values. I place even higher value on venturing out of my comfort zone (I moved across the country for a semester, conquered my fear of public speaking, and ran for executive positions in extra-curriculars since writing this!). One thing that I did not mention in my "I Am" statement is my faith, which is now the strongest that it has ever been. In 2025, I am resilient, courageous, and confident in who I am.

When revisiting my "I Want To Become" statement, I do believe that I am in the process of becoming who I then wanted to be. I have worked to expand my network over the last few years and taken advantage of opportunities that present themselves to me. I still stand true to being dedicated to all things that I do, and I have demonstrated that through my work completed in both of my internships, as well as honors contracts and projects for professors. I believe I have grown my communication skills, and I have used those communication skills to build strong and lasting relationships with influential individuals in my life. I do still struggle with stress management as my responsibilities and commitments have remained malleable over the course of time, but "I Want To Become" better in this area and strive to understand that I am capable.

ARTIFACTS
What I learned, how I grew, and shifts in my perspective.

The artifacts that I chose to showcase are all representative of my growth, learning, and development, and here’s why:
 

PROJECTS

• PEAK Moble App Prototype: While I could speak for days about the ways in which all of my team’s Honors I-CORE project deliverables contributed to my learning, the design of this app in particular is something I look back on with gratitude. Having the ability to bring my team’s vision to life with the use of my graphic design knowledge was one of the most rewarding moments in my college career. Our product was the only one in our class to have a functional prototype to accompany our pitch. This project took many hours to perfect and finalize, but the process of turning our written information into a product that can be visualized is one that captured my abilities to adapt and communicate.  

  • Perspective & Growth: Successfully creating a prototype and putting my skills to use changed the way I view my capabilities and what I bring to a team. I learned that I am a valuable part of a team when I put forth my efforts and that I bring a unique talent and vision to each group that I am a part of.

• Honors Contract – Ethics in Business: This project was vital to my growth in regards to public speaking, and it served the purpose of allowing me to connect the real-world with academics while also finding ways to communicate that in a classroom setting, broadening my skillset much more than I initially anticipated. Professor Brummett, whom I completed this contract with, is a compassionate, driven, and motivated individual who I am grateful to have had the chance to work with.

  • Perspective & Growth: The ability to bridge the gap between academics, ethics, and professionalism revealed to me that I have the ability to think critically and assess the world around me, looking at the bigger picture of how actions can impact the future. I am now much more vigilant of decisions made around me and proactive about how I can approach them from a more ethical standpoint.

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EXPERIENCES

Oh my, where do I begin? My experiences are what have shaped me during my time in Honors, and I chose to highlight these three, for these reasons:

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• Honors I-CORE: This was my first time collaborating with a team for an entire semester, setting me up for success in my internships where I would be collaborating with teams indefinitely. I learned a well-rounded concept of what it means to run a business, including team dynamics, marketing, finance, and supply chain logistics.

  • Perspective & Growth: Successfully collaborating with a team through an exhaustive project showed me that I am capable of effectively communicating, organizing information, and producing work that is of quality. I now view team and group work as an opportunity, when I previously viewed it as a burden.

• Disney College Program: This experience has shaped me in more ways that I can count. Moving across the country to a place where I did not know anyone, living on my own for the first time, and working for a company I had always dreamed of working for all were some of the most fulfilling experiences during this internship. When working here, my sense of purpose was clear and my vision for my future was heightened to a level I did not expect. (P.S.A. If you are thinking about applying for the Disney College Program, DO IT. Best decision of my life!)

  • Perspective & Growth: This experience confirmed that I am extremely adaptable to the world around me. I learned to put myself out there, be willing to step out of my comfort zone, and to always look to make connections with others. I also learned that I am capable of starting fresh and re-defining the direction of my life. I now am much more open to accepting opportunities that I may not have initially considered, as I never know where they may guide me.

• Second Presbyterian Internship: I have found so much value in the process of doing what I love while serving my community at the same time. My director, Ayrika Gunn, has truly become an inspiration and role model for me throughout my time at Second and has encouraged me in so many ways. I am thankful for the experience that this internship has given me, and the opportunity that has been extended to me to continue with the company to begin my career.

  • Perspective & Growth: My internship has taught me that I can produce quality work that is of assistance to a company and that my learnings throughout the Honors program are relevant to the real-world. I have been able to apply many things that I have learned to this internship, showing me that I am capable of learning and retaining information, as well as translating it into a form that fits best with the company that I am working for.