In 2014, when Lone Star College-University Park opened its Honors College, Brian Kyser, executive director, knew it would compete for many of the best and brightest students in the area. In just six years, LSC-University Park has earned significant recognition for cultivating a one-of-a-kind academic experience via the Honors College. It wasn't surprising, then, when Itzel Gomez and Maariyah Piperdi, 2020 valedictorians from Eisenhower High School and Texas Online Preparatory School, respectively, enrolled in the Honors College for the fall semester. They have joined a high-performing "college within a college" that provides a rich, innovative learning experience for students focused on academic excellence.
"We are so proud of the outstanding reputation the Honors College has earned, thanks in large part to executive director Kyser and his team," said Lone Star College-University Park President Dr. Shah Ardalan. "Our faculty, students, and facilities are all of the highest caliber. The presence of the Honors College on campus has proven true the saying that ‘all boats rise with the tide.’ At LSC-University Park, we provide the same level of high-quality education and services to all of our students – whether they are part of the Honors College or not.”
Both Gomez and Piperdi represent the profile of students that the Honors College is attracting. According to Kyser, 93% of Honors College students who received the Chancellor’s Fellows Award for Fall 2020, the top scholarship offered via the Honors College, graduated in the top 10% of their high schools. These students increasingly see the Honors College as an opportunity to grow their skill set, test their abilities, and challenge themselves inside and outside the classroom.
For Itzel Gomez, the opportunity to participate in the Honors College, in addition to the college being close to home, was the primary factor for choosing LSC-University Park.
"I liked everything that they were offering," said Gomez. They were recommending undergraduate research and all of the other challenging classes, on a budget."
Gomez was more than just the top student in her graduating class. She was president of three different organizations, including the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, and the Art National Honor Society. She also served as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. At LSC-University Park, Gomez plans to get an Honors associate degree in science. After graduating, her first choice is to transfer to Rice University to study art and mathematics, ultimately getting a master’s degree in architecture and becoming an architect.
Maariyah Piperdi studied online throughout high school and indicated the LSC-University Park used the same learning platform, D2L, as her high school. She was ranked number one in her graduating class, loves world history and humanities, takes care of her three younger brothers as well as her grandparents, and speaks some Urdu. While in high school, she was the National Honor Society president.
"There were quite a few reasons for choosing LSC-University Park," said Piperdi, who plans to graduate with an Honors associate degree in art and teaching and then transfer to Rice University to earn a bachelor's degree. “I think LSC-University Park is a wonderful school. It's close to home, and I want to be close to my family. I have three younger siblings, and they drive me to do my best. I want them to be proud of me."
"I also like the self-directed aspects of the Honors College and being selected as a Chancellor's Fellow is like getting two years of study free."
The Chancellor's Fellow is the most prestigious scholarship award within the Lone Star College System. It pays for two years of tuition and fees, books and provides a $600 stipend or allowance each semester, which helps alleviate the cost of being a dedicated student. Both Gomez and Piperdi applied for and earned the Chancellor's Fellow Scholarship. They have a specialized degree plan that culminates in an Honors associate degree. During their final semester, they can participate in the capstone experience, which is a travel opportunity. In the past, students have traveled to Beijing, China, Barcelona, Spain, Rome, Italy, Venice, Italy, New York City, New York, and Washington D.C.
The Honors College, which enrolls between 130-150 students at LSC-University Park, also provides opportunities for off-campus educational and cultural events, service-learning, seminars and conferences. Normally, students have an opportunity to attend the Washington Center Seminar, at which time they experience leadership training, educational tours of Washington D.C. and shadow key industry leaders. While COVID-19 has restricted such travel, at the end of October, Honors College students attended and presented their research at the Virtual Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Conference.
In late spring, as part of the Honors College capstone experience, LSC-University Park Honors College, together with LSC-CyFair and LSC-North Harris, collectively run a super-delegation for the Model United Nations program. Typically, they travel to New York City and the United Nations with each student representing an assigned country. This opportunity requires serious research, study and teamwork on the part of all the Honors College participants. For spring 2021, this will likely be a virtual experience.
Kyser credits Dr. Ardalan as an innovative force who helped move the Honors College at LSC-University Park from an idea into reality.
"He (Dr. Ardalan) created a unique space for the Honors College within the campus," said Kyser. "I like to say that the space itself is a significant recruiting feature for potential Honors College students. We house administrative offices, dedicated classrooms, and computers, as well as a student lounge. Keep in mind, our students are very much LSC-University Park students, as they take anywhere from half or more of their courses as non-honors college classes."
According to Kyser, graduates from the Honors College at LSC-University Park transfer to some of the most prestigious universities in the United States. Universities like Texas A&M, Rice University, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center School of Health Professions, Cornell University, Vanderbilt University, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are just a some of the better known and well-respected schools that have served as transfer destinations.
"Our Honors College students come to us with so much talent and potential," said Kyser. "For some, they may enter unsure of their direction, but this program gives them the opportunity to explore, to experience, and to decide."
For more information on the Honors College, please visit https://www.lonestar.edu/HonorsCollege.htm.