Ayla Lewis

When I first heard that through the Honors Program I could choose and complete two projects on my own, I was excited and determined. I knew right away that I would do one of the projects on something that would help me to further my dream of becoming a teacher of and advocate for the Deaf. I also recognized the benefit of working in a classroom with a deaf student. I felt it would refresh and strengthen my signing abilities, would introduce me to many new signs, and would help me better understand what it is like to be a deaf child in a hearing school.

Finding a school was the difficult part. I visited and called around to elementary and middle schools in the surrounding districts, but came up with nothing until I learned of the Centralia/Chehalis Student Support Program. Jefferson Lincoln Elementary School participates in this program, and has, among other things, a delayed-learning preschool classroom. The students in the class have an array of disabilities or disorders, and one student, Isaiah, is deaf. After speaking with the teacher, Jeri Davison, I began volunteering in the classroom Monday through Thursday every week.

In these past months, I have done more than just refresh my sign language; I have grown close to several of the students and have been able to observe the way Isaiah interacts with them even though he can’t hear them. I have learned a number of new signs and learned ways to sign nursery rhymes, songs, and other children’s stories. I got the chance to visit Isaiah’s home and learn from the way his parents support and communicate with him. I was also able to make connections with other deaf people. Most importantly, I was able to experience what it is like to work with a deaf child: the joys and the frustrations, the expansion of knowledge and the occurrence of setbacks, like when he would get frustrated and refuse to communicate at all. Everything was worth it, though, when he felt comfortable enough to sign with me and I was able to see his true character and how smart and unique he really is. I am now completely certain that I want to teach and work with deaf children. It is an amazing feeling to connect with them: to help them to communicate, understand, and successfully engage in a world made for the hearing.

While doing the project, I worked with Isaiah's interpreter out of the classroom as well. I was able to meet other deaf individuals, which gave me the opportunity to practice signing with Deaf adults, and also to ask questions and find out their different experiences and resulting opinions about Deaf Culture, the hearing world, and the interaction and relationship between these two. After completing the project, I presented what I have learned to the American Sign Language class here at Centralia College. I did the entire presentation in sign language. This was a challenge, but a huge growing experience. I got to share knowledge of deaf people and their daily lives to a classroom of students who share the same interests as mine. It also gave me the opportunity to sign in front of a large group of people, and because I did the presentation, it gave other students the motivation to go out and find ways they could be involved. I have made many long lasting friendships through the Honors Program and gained much more knowledge than a traditional classroom could have presented to me.

Kate Cushman

I'm a little bit of a glutton for punishment, so when I heard that I could investigate something in depth and get credit for it, I got excited. I have always wanted to be my own boss, and though I am not one hundred percent positive what my business will be, I am strongly leaning toward running a bed and breakfast. I know. It's very cliché. But here was my chance to figure things out before I get knee deep into it and get school credit for it! It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I chose to write a business plan for my bed and breakfast. What I discovered was a whole new way of learning.

I am working toward my business transfer degree here at Centralia College. What I want to take are the exciting entrepreneurial classes offered here. What I have to take to work toward my degree are almost exclusively lower level general education credits. To date, my total business related experience adds up to a big fat zero. The plan that my mentor and I chose was to research how to write a business plan and lay out a skeleton outline for my bed and breakfast during the fall quarter. Then winter quarter would be focused on researching and writing the actual business plan as if I were actually going to open my business, using the many great resources on the web. I started with the Small Business Administration as the anchor to my research and moved out from there to ensure that my resources were credible and up to date.

There are several great step by step instructions as well as tutorials on the web to walk you through the process of writing a business plan. It seemed easy enough. Yet when I began constructing my bed and breakfast and doing the foundation work, I found that it was not as simple as it seemed. Figuring out how to structure my business, what amenities I would offer, and how I would market it were all very simple. Digging up the facts and figures I needed to accurately predict my financials, especially in the current economy, was a lot more difficult.

A major aspect of the project is finding a way to present your work once you finish it. I was lucky enough to present my project, both for fall and winter quarter, to my mentor's two-year business ATA students. During the fall quarter, I presented the process of structuring my business and what a business owner looks for in personnel to the Human Relations in Business class. The following quarter, I presented to his Introduction to Business class. Both presentations went off without a flaw (if you could ignore the gum I chewed through out my presentation). It was very rewarding after all the hard work of putting together my project, with all the research and planning, to see people get excited about my bed and breakfast as I talked about it. The class participated and asked a lot of good questions after my presentation.

The most important aspect of being involved in the Honors Program is not the actual project I chose to study. It is learning how to learn. I can say without a doubt that I am a different learner now. I can, with a little help, jump into any topic, research it, and adapt it to what I need, whether it's learning about business, or about how to research, or how to prioritize. There were times that I truly struggled and felt so frustrated I wanted to give up, but I didn't. I fought with myself and with the help of my mentor learned how to find resources that I couldn't see before.

Centralia College emphasizes five learning themes: 1) reasoning; 2) written, oral and visual communication; 3) exploration-self and others; 4) resourcefulness; and 5) responsibility. Through my Honors Project, I hit on each of these themes without realizing it at first. I learned how to research a topic and develop my business plan based on what I learned. I learned how to solve problems on my own, and thanks to my mentor, where to go when I couldn't solve them on my own. I have gained self confidence that I have always wanted, and I can speak in front of groups with the assurance that I have something to say that is worth listening to. I have truly grown into a learner of life. I have caught the learning bug and can, with feverish frenzy, make my own path.

Lexi Garrity

I was five when I learned how to read. I will never forget the feeling of satisfaction I had, upon knowing what the marks on the page meant. Words led to stories, and the journey to one of my favorite pastimes had begun. Fifteen years later, books still retain their charm and appeal. This fascination with books pushed me into the path of literature. For my honors projects, I did two three credit studies with one of my Literature professors. Dr. Foran had been my philosophy and American literature professor. Working on a one on one basis for my honors 160 and 170 projects was a nice stretch for me in the area of American literature.

Under Dr. Foran's guidance, I was given a more in-depth view of great American writing. We chose to analyze two of William Faulkner's most celebrated works. Absalom! Absalom! and Light in August are the two novels we decided to delve into. Both books are, debatedly, two of the best American novels ever written.

First I wanted to "get to know Faulkner"; I read a collection of his personal letters. Through this aspect of my study, I received a glimpse of Faulkner as a person and how he related to his family, colleagues, and business associates, not to mention discovering what Faulkner thought of his own work and the reception it generated.

After this introduction, I reread Light in August and took on Absalom! Absalom! I researched both books for comparative themes of stratification and dehumanization. Essentially, these phrases refer to the "levels" of society and the lengths of possible cruelty and indifference people will reach to maintain these social placements or to break out of them. Both elements are present in each book. Faulkner does a brilliant job of challenging the way society is viewed and how certain people in peculiar settings, respond to the "status quo" of what is acceptable in society. After completing Honors 160 on Faulkner, I did a similar study for Honors 170 on Flannery O'Connor's themes for her more notable short stories.

I was thrilled that I got to plan a class in my future field. Working with one of my teachers on a more personal level was fun and challenging. I received the uninterrupted benefit of Dr. Foran's expertise, but the challenge of learning on a higher level. I think that my critical writing and thinking skills were improved by the uniqueness of Faulkner and the irony of Flannery O’Connor. Both American writers wrote thought-provoking pieces that went way beyond the scope of happy endings and simplicity. Each piece was unexpected and a challenge to read.

My goal for school is to receive my Bachelor's in English and then possibly go on for a doctorate in Literature. If I stay on my current path I would like to be a teacher. These projects definitely aided me in my pursuit of this goal. I am hoping the Honors Colloquium will do the same. My first independent project for the Honors Colloquium investigated the background of one of our readings, Tracy Chevalier's novel Girl With a Pearl Earring. I ended up writing a lengthy paper on the life and style of Jan Vermeer, a 17th century Dutch painter whose work Chevalier transformed into her story. The research for this art project was fun and a stretch for my skills. In the end, I learned quite a bit about 17th century Dutch art and one of its notorious artists, Jan Vermeer.

Lori Taylor

Last year I overheard Alexis Austin discussing her honors project in the writing center, and her project on women's poetry caught my interest. I asked Alexis what was required to take advantage of this opportunity, and she referred me to Dr. Susanne Weil. After discussing the Honors Program with Dr. Weil, I became excited about being able to write my own novel for my projects.

In the summer of 2008, my first book, "Elements of Change," was born. The idea for my story started with a dream I had about transforming into a bird of fire and flying through the sky. The images of my dream were so vivid I could not forget them. I began to think about this fire bird, this "Phoenix," and what kind of person she was. So I sat down at my computer and wrote out the images from my dream. And then I had another dream. And so the process continued, and four chapters later, I had the foundation of my first novel.

During fall 2008 and winter 2009, I used Hon 160/170 to write and obtain feedback on my book. I have over nine chapters completed and hope to finish this first novel before November, so I can start the second book in the series before the end of the year. Throughout this process, I have learned about character development, outlining, time management, and I've discovered that creative writing isn't always just writing. Sometimes it is research, and networking, and being able to talk to other people about their experiences and areas of expertise in order to make my story believable. For example, I spent a week researching sword fighting techniques for a scene in my book just to make sure I wrote it accurately. Sometimes writing successfully is about effective time management and forcing myself to write through the writer's block. Sometimes I struggle to write two sentences. Other days the story almost seems to write itself, and I am just along for the ride.

Without the opportunity the Honors Program has provided me to do this project, this story might have remained an unusual dream. Instead, this spark of imagination has become the very real story that is exploding out of me like a supernova. Writing this story and receiving the invaluable advice and guidance of Dr. Weil, first in my English 102 class, then throughout the Honors Program, has given me confidence in myself and my abilities as a writer. Before I began working with Dr. Weil, even the idea of continuing school to obtain my Bachelor's degree seemed like a fantasy. Now I have been accepted to all the schools I applied to, and finally decided to attend Washington State University in Vancouver. When I first started attending school at Centralia College, my goal was simply to obtain a job I could tolerate. Instead, I found a passion for writing and a life journey that has become more rewarding than I had expected.

Tess Obenauf

Deciding to apply for the Centralia College Honors Program came about in a really odd way for me. As a student worker at Centralia College East and Public Relations Officer for the Centralia College East Organization of Students (CCEOS), I have always tried to keep an ear to the ground for helpful news. One day a student approached me being left off the Honors list printed in our local paper. I began to search for how a student made it onto that list, and although the two aren't related, in the process I found the Honors Program.

At the time, there wasn't very much on the college site about the program. However, I knew it involved a Colloquium course in the final spring quarter. I had a target goal to join and applied for the Winter quarter, thinking I was well ahead of the game. As it turns out, I was far behind! Susanne Weil called me to tell me she had received my application, but it would actually be too late in the quarter to begin. If I was still interested, I could continue with my application, but it would mean fulfilling the Honors obligations in one quarter - Honors 160 and 170 (three credits each), as well as 250 (a five credit course). With the moral support of my friends on campus, I took the plunge.

I have an unquenchable thirst to learn about psychology and consider myself a journal addict. As I took the two psychology classes offered at CC East in Morton, my zeal for psychology was met, and admiration for Dr. Sandra Neal developed. Dr. Neal has been working with me as I continue to research the new field of mapping neuroterrain (that is, mapping the regions and tissues of the brain). Neurocartography, as this "brain geography" is called, is becoming very useful and has developed a solid foundation as a research tool in psychology. The more imaging technology is used, such as fMRI and SPECT/PET scans, the more psychologists and psychiatrists alike find it possible to tap into visualizing the actual brain in action. Just as we can look at the heart to identify specific problems, we are beginning to understand how to look at—and interpret—the brain in action. The potential to use such technology is not only exciting to me, but I have a vested interest, knowing that it could help so many loved ones and friends and neighbors as it becomes more accepted and effective.

For my second project, I asked Professor Dan Taylor to be my mentor. Dan makes math FUN! How could he know the effect of introducing the concept of "unsolvable" to me!? I love a challenge, and something "as simple" as an equation to identify and predict prime numbers seemed too easy. Thus begins the tickle of a fancy and diving into the world of math to change my life forever! I used to feel a dismal hollow of dread whenever I had to do anything more than basic algebra. Approaching the task of trying to find a simple equation for primes up to 100, I found a fascinating challenge. The joy I received from algebra classes with April Doolittle, Tara Johnson and Bob Callison at CC East only drove me further into a passion for math, thanks to graphing circles, Tesla and Sudoku (who knows the equation to develop a Sudoku puzzle?).

Honors Colloquium is so exciting! I'm fascinated with the other students and the range of study completed for their projects. They are all as dedicated to their passions and learning as I am. I love the daily participation, discussions, reads, and the bizarre feeling I get through the conversational topics in class each day. It's great to watch the minds at work in Colloquium as we each pick and choose our topics for the projects required of us in the course. Watching the growth of the other students as they develop and present their colloquium projects is inspiring. No two of us are alike, and that makes the Honors Program absolutely addicting. I've never been in a class that can discuss things, debate, mull things over as a group, and at the end of an hour still walk away smiling and laughing with each other. In correspondence with friends outside of class, I tend to use a lot of exclamation marks and inflammatory words filled with excitement. We shape the syllabus, since each new colloquium chooses what they will read and view. Susanne is there to guide and direct us along the way, and every day is fresh. She has quite a talent for keeping us on track. Thanks, Susanne!

My motto? Try to fill life with zest, and live each new day with as much thrill as I can possibly entertain without bursting! The perfect fit for this philosophy has been the Honors program and the chance to develop projects around my own interests. Challenge makes waking up each day a mystery. For my two colloquium projects, I was interested in showing how feasible it would be to incorporate environmental concepts and concerns into K-12 classrooms, but to do this in a hopeful way that does not overwhelm or intimidate children. My goal is to make such lessons applicable to life, so that students learn how one person can become exponential, leading by example. Can we make it apply from a young age, and carry it through graduation by combining with core classroom curriculum? My second colloquium project involved finalizing a project that began as an idea years ago...and will be unveiled on a website when we go live with it in June. We hope to make a point with people, whoever chooses to watch, that it's possible to care for others. Let that message reach one person and affect their life, and the ripple effect into life can develop a strong unity in mankind. We can't possibly tell the effects it WILL have, but at least the concept is applicable to qualify for an honors project.

I am so VERY grateful to Sandy Neal, Dan Taylor, and Susanne Weil for their energy. If you find yourself questioning something, and have a passion to understand it, or even research it - the Honors Program is for you. It is invigorating to participate and shape your class around your passion. Don't miss out on such a wonderful opportunity!