The Honors College, founded in 2015, welcomed its 10th class this fall—the Class of 2028! New students received a warm welcome during Welcome Week as they settled in and began to connect with the Honors College (HC) deans and staff, meet their Changemaking Mentors, and make new friends.
Arriving first, early in the week, international students had the chance to make friends with each other and meet the Honors College staff and Changemaking Mentors. Over dinner, students from around the world discussed their hobbies, interests, and why they chose Rutgers to bring them to their next stage in life.
“Rutgers is a good fit for what I want to do, which is finance,” says Soham Patil (RBS/HC). “I’m looking forward to making a life in America and Rutgers is my pathway to that.”
“I heard Rutgers has a lot of links with Johnson & Johnson, and I was interested in getting the opportunity to collaborate with them,” says Gabriel Porto (SOE/HC).
On Tuesday, the main move-in day for HC first-year students, returning student volunteers and HC staff helped first-years load their carts and exchanged friendly chatter and words of encouragement. New students and families were also welcomed by Mayor Cahill of New Brunswick, President Holloway of Rutgers, Chancellor Conway, and Senior Vice Chancellor Mena of Rutgers–New Brunswick, while Sir Henry brought smiles and laughter.
“I know Rutgers has a lot of different events, and I’m very enthusiastic to be a part of them,” said Liam Ta (SAS/HC). “The living-learning community as a whole is something I’m looking forward to a lot. We’re all going to be taking very similar classes revolving around the HC, and that’s going to build a tighter and closer community between all of us.”
Other students pointed out specific aspects of the HC experience they are anticipating, from discussing the book they read for Summer One Read to using the Makerspace. Many students agreed that they were most excited to continue and expand on their interests and connect with others from a variety of backgrounds.
“I’m looking forward to joining a tennis club and meeting people in the Russian cultural club at Rutgers,” said Natalia Rabinovich (SOE/HC). “I hope to meet other people who are also driven in their academics and are ambitious about their goals in life.”
“I’m excited to get to meet new people and try new things in general. I’m also looking forward to joining a taekwondo team since I’ve been doing that before college,” said Krish Bansal (SOE/HC). “I like the fact that we’ll have more opportunities and more intimate class settings—you're closer with your professors and other academic opportunities.”
During the Induction Ceremony, HC student leaders reached their hands out to the next generation of HC students by sharing the valuable lessons they learned throughout their college journeys, including the importance of physical and mental wellness, expressing one’s authentic self, and taking risks to try new things. After serving as moderator for the panel discussion, Acting Associate Dean Krista Klein shared, “We are all on a journey together to support each other, and especially to support the first-year students’ transition into college. These Welcome Week activities help to build connections and prepare for college life.”
The ceremony concluded with newly inducted students joining their voices together in the HC oath, representing their collective journey towards success:
Where there is something to learn, I will explore.
Where there is a new voice, I will listen.
Where there is a need, I will help.
Even before classes began, first-year students were eager to hear from a variety of perspectives and to share their own beliefs about contemporary issues, including activism, gender roles, and globalization, at the Honors College Summer One Read presentation with New York Times bestselling author and Rutgers alumna Imbolo Mbue, who spoke about her novel, How Beautiful We Were.
At the conclusion of Welcome Week during an HC-wide service project, not only were students eager to get in their service hours, which are required to graduate as an Honors College Scholar, but they had lively conversations while packing bags of school supplies for elementary schoolers from New Brunswick, making new friends along the way.
“I’ve always been someone who’s really involved with community service, so I’m really glad it’s a part of the Honors College and makes people want to keep doing it,” says Nora Gray (SAS/HC).
“I think being able to participate in HC service is a lot about the community being able to come together to do something,” says Frances Mathias (SAS/HC). “Community service is a lot about finding the needs of your community and responding to it. I respect larger movements, but a lot of what I’ve seen involves helping just one other person, which also makes a great difference.”
Finally, returning students, student mentors, and staff offered more advice for first-year students transitioning from high school to college.
“Take advantage of all the people who are offering you their networks, contacts, and advice,” says J.D. Bowers, Dean of the Honors College. “Don’t get frustrated if things aren’t perfect right away– things will improve, so just take it slow.”
“It’s good to make a schedule for your day,” says Changemaking Mentor Rachel Philip (SAS/HC). “Organize your thoughts and the tasks you have to get done. Prioritizing yourself is very important– make sure you’re not overdoing your tasks for the day and focus on the quality of your work.”
“Be patient with yourself and focus on your growth instead of comparing yourself to other people,” says Dr. Talia Robbins, Assistant Teaching Professor and Lead Instructor of the Forum, the Honors College mission course. “I think it’s very easy to look around the HC and be intimidated by others’ accomplishments. As much as you can, think about where you were today versus where you are in a month from now, rather than comparing yourself to other people around you.”