Needham Student Inducted into Assumption College Honors Program

Caleigh Bryson, a resident of Needham and a member of the class of 2018, was inducted into the Assumption College Honors Program alongside 78 of her fellow students on Sunday, Nov. 1, before an audience of administrators, faculty and families.

The Honors Program at Assumption College is a demanding, intensive curriculum that seeks to challenge each student to achieve his or her full potential within a supportive community of peers. Regardless of major, the Honors Program empowers students to challenge themselves and explore their passion with similarly motivated students. Students inducted into the Program are encouraged to select courses and projects that reflect their individual interests and to connect their classroom studies with experiences in the community.

“Getting the most out of ourselves means not settling for what we could do yesterday,” Honors Program Director and Assumption College Professor Molly Flynn, Ph.D., shared with the students. “You are honors students: seek out challenges. It is more honorable to struggle through a difficult course than to breeze through an easy one. Our vocation is to help you develop the skills and habits of soul and mind you will need later on in order to more richly recognize and respond to the world, each in your own multifarious vocations.”

The 79 students inducted into the Honors Program were required to recite a pledge that reflects the mission of the College, which is to form graduates known for critical intelligence, thoughtful citizenship, and compassionate service. In unison, led by current honors student Elizabeth DiLoreto ‘18, the students pledged, “We, the members of the Assumption College Honors Program, pledge to uphold the values of the Honors Program, including academic achievement, scholarly integrity, a commitment to service, and fostering a vibrant learning community.” The pledge was written by Mae L’Heureux ‘14.

Students apply to the Honors Program when they apply to the College as a high school senior. (Those students who demonstrate academic excellence during their first semester at Assumption are also welcome to apply.) The College reviews a number of criteria of students interested in applying for the Honors Program including standardized test scores; class rank; engagement inside and outside the classroom; demonstrated passion for learning; and grade point average (GPA). Students must maintain a GPA of 3.25 in Honors courses, and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25.

“The Assumption College Honors Program focuses on creating a context of social and academic excellence in which you may flourish and grow,” added Professor Flynn. “The program does this especially in three ways. First, we foster a community, a place for both social and intellectual engagement. We do this with the Honors Lounge and through co-curricular social and intellectual events. Second, you will develop a specialization and complete a self-directed, senior capstone project with a faculty mentor. This project is intimidating, but it is also incredibly rewarding. You will be glad you did it. Third, an educated person often has a favorite area of knowledge, but an educated person is not just a specialist, and we aim to give you an excellent, well-rounded education, a deeper understanding of our world and of yourself.”

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