This year, the Honors College welcomed over 950 students into its first-year class and within the newly integrated honors community. After combining the Honors College (HC) and other honors programs and academies, all honors students on campus can now access a broader and more enriched academic and co-curricular experience. Across the five Rutgers campuses, HC students received a warm welcome from staff and student leaders during Welcome Week, held August 25 through September 5.
On Move-In Day, new students and their families received a helping hand from Honors College staff and Welcome Team student leaders, Rutgers Residential Life Move-In Team student volunteers and staff, and with Honors College Welcome Stations at various locations across campus, including for students who commute. At the Honors College headquarters at 5 Seminary Place, students were greeted by Rutgers’ President Tate and Chancellor Conway and other senior members of administration, as well as by Sir Henry!
In all the excitement, students shared their thoughts.
“I’m looking forward to gaining independence and building my own schedule—marching to the beat of my own drum,” said Xael Leon (‘29, MGSA/HC). “I’m an artist, so I’m also looking forward to improving my own craft and getting to learn more about the things I truly care about.”
During the Welcome and Induction Ceremony, held at Jersey Mike’s Arena, J.D. Bowers, dean of the Honors College, and other Honors College Faculty Fellows and staff, greeted newly arrived students in our first gathering as an integrated honors community. Dean Bowers shared thoughts on what it means to be Inspired, Empowered, and Connected, with a larger community and more and deeper opportunities to engage.
Over the summer, new and returning students participated in the HC Common Read program, sharing their opinions in an online discussion for the selected HC Common Read book, Jake Bittle’s The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration ahead of the author’s visit, where they had a chance to engage with him and ask their questions. The Common Read is part of the Honors Unbound program, which has a two-year thematic focus on the environment in 2024-2026. As the semester progresses, students will continue to interact with the book and related topics in their honors courses and panels.
Honors College Welcome Week festivities continued through September 5 for new and later in the week for returning students—from mentor gatherings, movie night, and other socials to learning about resources across campus, gathering for the Intercultural Meetup, learning about the LGBTQ+ Learning Collaborative, exploring the HC Involvement Fair, and meeting the Honors College Student Programming Committee to get school supplies and share ideas.
“Each year, Welcome Week helps first-year students get acclimated on campus and begin to find their community,” said Dean Bowers. “This is an important step in helping students in their transition to college, from their intellectual and social growth to learning their way around campus.”
For returning student leaders, the Leader Training Summit is an opportunity to connect with each other and share their enthusiasm for serving as guides for their community. Many cited the positive impact the HC community had on them during their own first year and their desire to extend that same support to new students.
“For me, being a student leader means being able to give back to the Honors College community,” said Chiara Giacomelli (‘28, SAS/HC), an HC Community Mentor. “Having the smaller Honors community within the larger one helped me adapt to campus. I would like to create the same experience for students who don’t have a lot of experience away from home or simply have any questions about how Rutgers works.”
“I’ve always had the passion for teaching,” Matthew Esaia (‘26, SAS/HC) said. “As a lead ambassador, I’m able to use my skills, answering questions on the spot and helping everyone decompress during stressful situations. When I am able to provide all the knowledge I have to prospective students and their families, it helps them feel more relaxed and confident during the college search process.”
“Nothing we do is in isolation, so for me, this is the quintessential form of building community,” said Antoun Nakhla (‘27, SAS/HC). “I’m looking forward to getting to know more people in the integrated Honors College community and having a greater presence in making an impact as an HC community mentor.”
For first-year students, Welcome Week has helped give them a strong foundation for connecting with their new network of friends and colleagues through a variety of interactive events.
“Everyone was there at the silent disco, so you were able to see all the people you met so far,” said Reilly Palmese (‘29, SAS/HC). “I’m looking forward to making friends in my classes and building a wider community beyond my floor throughout my first semester.”
The traditions of Welcome Week serve to integrate the newest students into our community while also beginning to build the community around their interests and needs. “We are excited to greet our students during our Welcome Week events and to see how their honors experience unfolds for them and what they will do next,” said Dean Bowers.