Honors Students' Stories
“Honors, for me, was an immediate LMU family…Living and taking classes with other strong, creative, and motivated students has helped reveal to me what my strengths and weaknesses are and has made my college experience both enjoyable and challenging.”
-Amanda '12
“The Honors Program fosters an environment that encourages learning in many different ways. Whether through small classes with in-depth discussion of the course material where students are learning from the text, their professors, and their peers, or through individual research sponsored by grants, the Honors Program offers a number of opportunities for its members to pursue their education in and beyond the classroom.”
-Jonathan '09
“A huge part of my job is wining and dining very intelligent, powerful people and gaining their trust. The Honors Program did an excellent job of preparing me for this by granting me access to some of the most notable people on campus [such as the University President]. Programs like [the President’s book club], special sessions with the Freshman book author, soirées, receptions, and swanky Honors conferences—all of these opportunities taught me not to be intimidated by powerful people, how to converse with ease and grace on a wide range of topics, and allowed me to feel poised and confident entering this world.”
–Jenny '07
“I had been accepted to honors programs at three universities, but when I attended their preview days, I felt lost in the crowd. [The other honors programs] were only concerned about themselves and not me. When I came to LMU's Honors preview, however, the faculty and students involved seemed genuinely interested in who I was and what I had to offer…Honors allowed me to fashion my time at LMU as richly as I wanted. The Honors Director at the time helped me, as a Freshman, to formulate my schedule for the next four years so that I could take advantage of opportunities like studying abroad in London… Honors is a big part of why I absolutely love LMU.”
-Lara '10
“I ended up choosing LMU out of mostly financial considerations and for the entire summer was certain that I had made the wrong choice and was going to be unhappy…The three days of Honors Summit changed everything. The people I met were brilliant beyond imaginable, all with different interests and talents. The professors were approachable and inspiring. The other Honors students were quite impressive…I can truly say that I am proud to be associated with such inspirational, budding intellectuals. Honors was everything I wanted in a college, everything I thought LMU wouldn’t be, and everything that I am so thankful to be a part of.”
-Anonymous '14
“The Honors Program was the reason I turned down a full scholarship to [another university]. I truly believe it is one of the best intellectual undergraduate experiences out there.”
-Kevin
“I am the example my family uses for my siblings and cousins…Joining the Honors Program was a step in [achieving] my goal of being the first female on both sides of my family to graduate from college. I do not plan on simply attaining a Bachelors degree from Loyola Marymount University, but doing so with an excellent academic and extracurricular record.”
-Alexus '14
“During Presidential Preview Weekend, I stayed with Honors students…I watched as the two girls' bounced casually between talking about their favorite fashion model to discussing the African literature class they were both taking. I knew I wanted to spend more time with students like this—who were brilliant intellectuals, but [who were] also down to earth and really fun to be around…I picked Honors because I could tell that I would be around people who inspired me and motivated me.”
-Sarah '09
“Although being in Honors is an interdisciplinary educational experience, the classes have allowed me to pursue my own skills and interests. I examined Broadway musicals in Wealth of nations, wrote poetry in Imago Dei, traced the history of chocolate in Honors Age of Leviathan, and analyzed Harry Potter and Bollywood in On the Sublime. The Honors Program has allowed me to explore different areas as well as to pursue my own interests, whether they be academic, pop culture, or dessert.”
-Rebecca '12
“In the Honors Program you can really make LMU work for you. There are many opportunities and advantages that an Honors student receives that other students at this school, as well as those at other universities, do not. It is a challenging, personal, and rewarding experience.”
-Caleb
“The Honors Program showed me that learning is dynamic, constructive, and far more interconnected than I had thought. My experience at LMU was enriched by my participation in Honors, which truly lives out LMU's dedication to the education of the whole person.”
-Megan '11
“Getting started as a writer is never easy, but through the Honors
Program's annual scholarly journal Attic Salt, I have had the opportunity as an undergraduate to have my creative work published, not
just once, but twice! Seeing my name in print for the first time
provided me with an unbelievable feeling of accomplishment, and the
Honors Program has given me a platform to display my work that most
[undergraduate students] at universities can only dream of. Through Attic Salt, I am gaining practical knowledge that
will serve me in the future, as well as taking the first steps toward establishing myself as a writer.”
-Ariana '12
“Honors is where I learned to be intelligent…It enhanced my college experience to a degree that no other program could. It gave me access to mentors, faculty, and peers of the highest caliber, and my friends in the program were also people who inspired and challenged me daily. Through Honors, I learned to research and present my own ideas at national conferences, speak intelligently and articulate clearly, and believe that I could always do and be better. These are skills I utilize every day in the medical field, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to hone them in Honors.”
-Alicia '07
“[Honors is] a community that loves learning and, furthermore, understands the importance of putting knowledge in the service of action…I strongly believe that Honors was one of the best things about my undergraduate experience. The classes and faculty challenged me to grow, both personally and academically, and the community of students that filled my classrooms and dorm halls fostered friendships that will remain with me throughout my life.”
-Kat '10
“I love the Honors Program because it affords me the opportunity to have meaningful intellectual conversations outside of the classroom. Our inquiries into the world do not begin and end with the class period. I love being able to communicate with people who are genuinely curious about the world around them and who are not afraid to ask questions to find out. I learn more from these conversations than I ever thought possible.”
-Tonya '12
“Every time I write something, edit something, design something, or do anything else…I usually think, for at least a few seconds, of whether or not my Honors professors would approve!”
-Robert ‘08
“Some of my fondest college memories, both inside and outside the classroom, were because of the Honors Program.”
-Ohemaah '10