High School Students to Compete for Prestigious Honors Slots and Full Tuition Scholarships

Hardin-Simmons University faculty members are looking for the best and brightest as they fill only 20 spots in the HSU Honors Program. More than 40 top high school seniors and their parents will be on campus during the annual Honors Interview Day, Friday, February 14, 2014. About a dozen other highly recommended candidates will be interviewed by Skype.

The program provides an enriched educational environment for undergraduate students of exceptional promise. To be selected, students must demonstrate a wide variety of interests and seek an enhanced learning opportunity. Dr. Tom Copeland, director of the HSU Honors Program, says, “Selected students participate in a different kind of learning, often learning from each other in lively group discussions. The students chosen to participate in the interview process have already shown that they can excel academically and that they are highly motivated.”

On Friday, each of the hopeful students will have to prove to Honors Program faculty members that they can astutely express themselves and that they process a keen interest in learning about disciplines outside of their own area of study.

“The goal of Honors studies is to encourage students to actively pursue knowledge and engage in discussing a variety of concepts and ideas. Students are expected to challenge themselves to grow intellectually and spiritually, strive for excellence, and assume personal accountability for their intellectual growth,” says Copeland.

Each Honors student accepted to the program receives $3000 per year on top of all other academic scholarships they receive. Plus, the top three members of the upcoming freshmen Honors class will receive the prestigious Leland Scholarship, which covers all of the students’ tuition costs at HSU.

Determination of eligibility for the Leland Scholarships will be made by the director of the Honors Program after class members are chosen. Recommendations for awards at all levels will be made to the associate vice president for enrollment services in consultation with the Honors Council.

Interviews will be held in the Dyess Welcome Center beginning at 8 a.m., Friday, February 14, with many of the hopefuls and their parents taking the opportunity to tour the campus. Copeland says the students selected will bring the program up to its full capacity of 80 students.