Honors at Penn State Brandywine

Jane E. Cooper & Schreyer Honors Programs

Students Present at the United Nations International Day of Peace

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Brandywine scholars wait in line to enter the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

On Friday, September 20, Brandywine’s honors Civic and Community Engagement 211 class hopped on a bus and journeyed to the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the International Day of Peace Student Observance, which focused on the theme of sustainable development in the face of the climate crisis under the banner “Climate Action for Peace.”

The program contained opening remarks by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, Melissa Flemming, followed by a statement from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Guterres encouraged young people to continue their activism despite government inaction.

“[E]ven if governments are still lacking political will, even if we are still unable to make full peace with nature, there is a huge hope in what the youth is doing all over the world. And the youth is clearly telling my generation that we need to change course and that we need to do it now.”

Acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed for the attendees and later participated in a panel discussion along with indigenous environmental activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, youth director of conservation organization Earth Guardians.

Professor Hartle with Youth Moderator Kehkashan Basu

Youth activists Kehkashan Basu, founder of the Green Hope Foundation, and Kasha Slavner, creator of visual storytelling project Global SunRisers, called for climate action.

Zahir Tanin, Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo, spoke to attendees via video link, followed by an online presentation by a youth group in Kosovo and a Q&A session framed around the 3Peas project, a toolkit designed to provide guidance in the application of permaculture as a path to peace and youth empowerment in the Balkan region.

The United Nations ActNow campaign played a role in the proceedings as well. The ActNow campaign is a coordinated push to individual action on the climate crisis. It aims to raise awareness and spur government action to implement the changes suggested by the Paris Agreement.

Civic and Community Engagement students bear the banners of other nations.

A large presentation of peace projects by high school and college students rounded out the day, including GirlsPlayGlobal, Citizens Climate Lobby, WE, the World, DGC Youth Representatives Programme, and other undergrad and graduate students projects from Princeton, John Hopkins, and Appalachian State University, the lattermost associated with Penn State University’s Summer Drawdown activities to create a sustainable campus environment.

“Participation in this event at the UN headquarters provided a great opportunity for our honors students to connect what they learn in the classroom with programs that have a real impact on our world. It is great to see our honors students and honors professors working together, and getting involved on campus, in the community, and beyond,” said Hans Schmidt, campus coordinator of the Cooper and Schreyer honors programs.

The event closed with the customary minute of silence and ringing of the peace bell.

Scholar Profile: Vaishali Devarakonda

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Vaishali Devarakonda, a sophomore at Penn State Brandywine, fondly remembers her first exposure to the Cooper honors program through a field trip to Eastern State Penitentiary.

“At first, my thoughts about the trip were ‘why am I going to a prison?’ but as the trip went on, it was so interesting to learn more about mass incarceration in such an interactive way. I learned from that trip that there are many things bigger than myself or my world. Cooper recognizes that fact and makes sure that every student does as well.”

Indeed, the Honors Program intends to expand the worldview of each student, but doing so requires a commitment to excellence. “I’ve always been the type to push myself to test my limits, and naturally, the Cooper Honors Program seemed like a way that I could challenge myself to grow while still enjoying the college student lifestyle. After I got into the program, I am still willing to push myself to grow academically, but I am also willing to go the extra mile to network and put myself in the spotlight through opportunities like research projects or student profiles.”

Vaishali, majoring in Data Sciences, values the insight the honors program affords its students, whether it is in the form of community outreach, field trips, or the way classes encourage experimentation in learning.

“Typically, I tend to look at the big picture when doing anything. However, my math courses challenged me to think about situations more slowly and logically. It took some time before I forced myself to go through problems one step at a time, but eventually, I was able to get the answer quicker than I did before.”

There is some confusion and apprehension to becoming an Honors student that many find daunting. Vaishali sympathizes with such views, but finds them to be largely unfounded. “Contrary to popular belief, Honors coursework isn’t necessarily ‘harder.’ It’s a more involved version of a regular for-credit course. I am constantly pushed to think more deeply about certain topics and challenge myself to understand different points of view.”

One might imagine a more involved curriculum and rigorous academic requirements might deprive students of the college life, but Vaishali disagrees. “Even though I am an Honors student, I still have time for growing as an individual. This could be through internships, spending time with friends, or learning about a subject or issue I am passionate about.”

Indeed, the obligations the program demands of its students, such as attending honors events, requires hard-working learners like Vaishali to “think a little more about time management, but ultimately, (they) help me to become a well-rounded individual. From a more academic standpoint, requirements of a 3.4 GPA and an honors thesis seem unattainable, but they are! Because of the many academic resources available to me in the Honors program, such as a wonderful team of faculty and like-minded students, I can go to anyone to help me reach, or surpass, these expectations. While the Honors program pushes me to work harder, its faculty understands that academics are not the only thing that forms its student body, and these requirements reflect that.”

Many honors courses make an impact on a student’s learning experience at Penn State, teaching skills they will use for years to come.

“Intro to Freshman Composition taught me how to effectively communicate my findings and opinions on paper and how to effectively research specific topics. Honors courses that keep the same group of students together are very helpful with fostering a growth mindset. Although each student is connected through the Honors program, each student has their own ideas and their own methods of going through certain problems, and that in turn can help with the collective growth of the Honors student body.”

Vaishali commends the professors who make the program so rewarding. “The Honors faculty has an understanding that learning is very individualized, and takes different methods of learning in every class to help each student understand the subject matter more effectively. This has helped me immensely in subjects that I struggled in during high school, such as math or public speaking.”

The connections made in the Honors program are invaluable to students as they look forward to the future. “One of the biggest benefits of the Cooper Honors program is that it provides you with many connections with current students, alumni, people from academia, and businesses. Ultimately, these connections will help me grow through anything I do, whether that be starting a new club, getting a new job, or just finding a study buddy,” Vaishali says. “Through events like the Socratic Symposium, Cooper also puts me in touch with people who share my goals. We may have differing viewpoints, but our ultimate goal is to gain as much knowledge as we can. That brings us closer together.”

Scholar Profile: Himani Vommi

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“[T]he Honors program has helped me meet a community of peers and professors that I am very grateful for. I would not have met many of my friends and fellow students without the Honors program.”

Himani Vommi entered her sophomore year this Fall at Penn State Brandywine, and she could not be more perspicacious in her endeavors. As someone who “strongly believes that if one surrounds themselves with motivated people, they will also strive to achieve their goals as well,” Himani jumped at the prospect of being an honors student her first year.

For Himani, a cyber security major, “being part of a competitive, yet supportive environment is incredibly important as a student.” Vommi finds in the Honors program a community that values character, academic progress, and professional development.

Cooper Honors students often take field trips as part of their course studies to better enhance their learning. Himani speaks of her “first real experience as a Cooper Honors student,” a trip to the Eastern Penitentiary for a public speaking course framed on social justice and mass incarceration. “It was quite eye opening and forced me to acknowledge ongoing issues and think about what has been happening in the country in a way that I really hadn’t before.”

Honors students sometimes share classes of varying scope and discipline together to fulfill the requirements of the program, producing well-rounded students with global perspectives. “As a cybersecurity major and a student who has focused most of her academic endeavors toward STEM-related coursework, it was very different to integrate courses about economics, psychology, or criminal justice. I would say one of the biggest takeaways I’ve gotten from these classes is the importance of research and the ability to reassess current knowledge.”

Of course, this is not to say everything comes easy. “Finding ways to integrate honors coursework that is related to my major has been a challenge, due to the amount of courses that are already required for a cybersecurity major, a computer science minor, and scheduling constraints.” Himani advocates for “a broader curriculum so that more students from various majors can continue taking classes at the honors level. I strongly believe this would open a lot of valuable opportunities for many fellow students.” Indeed, the classes offered at the Honors level vary widely in discipline, but are constantly under revision and evolution.

Vommi believes that membership in the Honors program denotes several responsibilities each scholar takes on, chief among them a duty to uphold the values of Penn State University and a moral obligation to “make membership meaningful by contributing our own knowledge in various ways. Despite the increased responsibility this entails, it can also provide value to one’s involvement on campus if carried out successfully.”

“The Honors program provides a valuable learning community for those who wish to take their education to the next level, both on campus and abroad as well. It is a great opportunity for students in terms of professional and educational growth, and also makes an effort to ease the financial burdens of its students as well. The Honors professors have been incredibly supportive and are an invaluable resource for students. The passion they have for the material they teach made me want to learn more in their classes despite it not being related to my career path.”

Vommi also presented at the Socratic Symposium, a biannual gathering of Honors scholars, professors, and thesis advisors. While most Honors scholars speak during their senior year in the form of a thesis defense, Vommi displayed tremendous bravery and assiduity in academic rigor by speaking at the Symposium in her very first semester as a student. “I strongly believe it’s a wonderful initiative to share other students’ work and motivate others in the community to achieve the most they can. It allows for fellow students of all levels of experience and fields to share what we have been working on with a group of like-minded, yet diverse individuals.”

Vommi plans to present at this year’s Socratic Symposium.

 

Brandywine Honors Students Volunteer in Chester

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August 21, 2019—Incoming first-year honors students joined Angela Putman, Assistant Professor of Communications, on a field trip to CityTeam, a nonprofit poverty relief organization located in Chester, in order to assist the program’s leaders and volunteers with food and clothing distribution. Their valuable work, intended as a component to Putman’s Honors Communication and Speech class this fall semester, consisted of unloading and sorting a fully stocked fresh produce truck, cleaning the facility, and organizing clothing donations for the adults and children CityTeam assists each week.

Student volunteers sort adult clothing by size and dress type.

“This trip was a great opportunity for our honors students to both learn more about what they will be studying in the classroom this semester, and give back to the community,” said Hans Schmidt, Associate Professor of Communications and Coordinator of the campus honors program.

The day began with an informative presentation by a CityTeam staff member followed by a question and answer session where students engaged with the history, operation, and services of the organization, which include family and food assistance, mother and baby care, a medical clinic, career and learning center, as well as a men’s shelter.

Students stock and organize the Mother and Child room with clothes and shoes.

The honors students then divided into four groups, specializing in adult clothing donations, child clothing and toys, cleaning and janitorial work, and food distribution. While these groups worked independently from each other for most of the day, everyone reconvened to help unload a truck packed with fresh produce donated from local grocery stores, bakeries, and farms. The team shared the weight of the labor to lessen the wait time of the people coming to CityTeam for food and assistance before breaking off once again to work alongside other volunteers in operating the clothing and food stores.

Honors students line up to unload the fresh produce truck.

“Given our theme in CAS 100 of poverty, the partnership with CityTeam and the field trip that we took to their facility were both a fantastic choice. The students got to learn quite a bit about the living conditions for many residents in Chester; specifically, they learned that Chester is a food desert—there are no grocery stores in the entire city of Chester with access to fresh produce. Beyond learning, they were then able to work side-by-side with the local volunteers to ensure that the CityTeam clients could shop for their food, clothing, and baby supplies. I hope that the students benefitted from this experience as much as I did,” said Angela Putman.

Penn State looks forward to working with CityTeam again in the future.

 

 

Socratic Symposium, Spring 2019

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On April 18, 2019 the biannual Jane E. Cooper and Schreyer Honors Socratic Symposium celebrated the scholarship of Penn State Brandywine Honors students.

The spring program began with brief announcements by Dr. Hans Schmidt, coordinator of the Honors program at Brandywine, namely concerning the Global Programs available to scholars. Courses offered to interested students include two opportunities to study abroad. Students may spend winter break in Barcelona, while Vienna and Budapest are scheduled for spring break this upcoming year.

Dr. Schmidt presented several awards at the Symposium, including accolades for top GPA. While the average GPA of the Honors class sits at an impressive 3.72, the top GPA award recipients measured even higher. Adi Yom-Tov received recognition for the highest Honors GPA in the junior-senior class, and Thomas England, Samantha Hug, and Caleb Madison represented the sophomore class. Freshmen Himani Vommi and Rikin Patel also won the top GPA award for their first academic year as Honors students.

Dr. Angela Putman, professor of communications, won the eighth annual Arnold A. Markley Faculty Award, which is granted in recognition of a faculty member whose teaching, mentorship, and guidance honors the dedication and passion exemplified by the late Dr. Markley.

Two Honors students presented independent research at the Symposium.

Laura Gillin, who is majoring in psychology, presented her research, “LGBTQ+ Experiences in Online Gaming Communities” with great aplomb. Advised by Dr. Margaret Signorella, Gillin’s work explored the hostility LGBTQ+ and nonbinary players experience in the video game community.

She designed a survey measuring the frequency, valence, and forms of comments about gender identity players report experiencing. Although her research was met with a hostile response by some of the gaming community, Gillin remained resilient and found that non-heterosexual individuals were more likely to notice comments regarding identity or orientation.

Additionally, all negative comments players reported pertained to the LGBTQ+ community or were misogynist in nature. Gillin stressed that further research is needed since literature on this subject is scarce.

Schreyer Honors scholar Madeline Malfara defended her senior Honors thesis, entitled, “Mitochondrial dynamics in Crithidia fasciculata and Trypanosoma brucei.”

Advised by Dr. Megan Povelones, Malfara’s research examined the role of DLP proteins in kinetoplastids. Her defense represented the culmination of several years of labor experimenting with mitochondrial dynamics in the lab and genetic editing with CRISPR-Cas9. Malfara created Crithidia and T. brucei cell lines that lacked DLP by specifically targeting cell mitochondria. Her altered T. brucei cell line expressed replication of growth phenotype and defects in both cellular replication and active transport.

Malfara’s presentation concluded with the Schreyer tradition of hitting the gong after a successful thesis defense.

 

 

Adi Yom-Tov

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Adi Yom-Tov is far from what you would call an average college student, so he and Brandywine were a perfect match.  

After high school, Adi spent a few years working in the U.S. and then serving in the Israeli military until 2014. He was looking to go back to school, and a family friend convinced him that Penn State Brandywine was worth giving a try.  

“He wasn’t wrong,” Adi said.  

From the get-go, Adi was taken by the variety of different programming and networking opportunities Penn State offers its students. Penn State’s adult-learner program, which does not require an SAT or ACT score, made the transition even easier for Adi, something he’ll always be grateful for.  

Brandywine especially attracted Adi. “There’s a sense of community among the students, faculty and staff. The students and faculty seem to work together, rather than have a lecturer-student type of relationship.” 

Brandywine’s smaller class sizes and one-on-one attention from staff was a big draw for Adi, especially in regards to the honors program. “Once I was offered admission to the university, and later the Cooper Honors program, I was all in. Hearing about the research opportunities offered to honor students, as well as the small class sizes offered in honors courses, reaffirmed my decision to come to Penn State, and Brandywine specifically.” 

Brandywine’s unique size and location allowed Adi to pursue his Bachelor’s degree in business, while also working full-time when he needed to. Even in conjunction with his personal and professional life outside of school, Adi continued to find research opportunities that allowed him to work with his professors – not for them.  

“The faculty who teach the courses are often experienced professionals in their respective field, who come and share their viewpoint with students, rather than just reviewing the material from the textbooks. I believe this practical approach is the best way to prepare students for the post-college world.” 

Joining the Cooper’s honors program has only served to enhance his experience at Brandywine. Not only has he had the experience of even smaller class sizes, but he also has had multiple opportunities for individualized research with his professors. Outside of academics, he has made great connections with his honors peers, getting an exclusive glimpse at what they’re doing now – and what they might achieve in the future.  

“The honors program showed me a whole new side of learning that I was not exposed to before, and I am very grateful it did.” 

After Brandywine, Adi hopes to work in market research, continuing to pursue his interest in behavioral economics in graduate school and beyond.  

“The number one advice I would give anyone coming into school, or in it, is to use the resources the university and campus offer. Every faculty or staff member I’ve met wants to help students succeed. Sometimes, students miss out on available help because they don’t bother asking. You’ll never know if the help is there if you don’t ask. I think that’s the most important thing I’ve taken from being in school. That and trying to enjoy the journey. These four years are hard work, but I try to appreciate how all of that work has made me grow.” 

Victor Ficarra

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Fourth time’s the charm, especially for Victor Ficarra.  

Victor was always interested in attending Penn State, but it wasn’t until he received his final decisions and a few visits to Brandywine later –four in the span of two months– that he finalized his decision.  

“I always found myself enjoying my visits to Penn State the most. With Penn State’s many connections, strong Engineering department, and very enjoyable college atmosphere, Penn State has definitely felt like the right place for me.” 

Victor got involved from the get-go: he plays on the varsity tennis team, is a member of the Schreyer’s honors program, and has traveled to Sicily and Malta with Penn State’s Study Abroad program. These are just some of the things he likes about Brandywine. Along with being close to home for his first two years, he is making valuable connections with the faculty and staff on campus.  

“The faculty members have been extremely helpful to me, whether it be for support for their course, helping me with my Schreyer application, helping me select courses, or even aiding me as outlets to vent out frustration at times,” he said.  

The summer before his senior year of high school, Victor shadowed at Sikorsky Helicopters, cementing his interest in Aerospace Engineering. He initially applied to Penn State as a finance major, but after finding out how highly ranked Penn State’s Aerospace Engineering program is, he changed it, along with declaring business and international studies minors (it didn’t hurt that Penn State is the only university in Pennsylvania that offers an Aerospace Engineering major, either).  

Joining Schreyer’s was a no-brainer for Victor, and he shows no signs of regretting it any time soon. In just his first two years at Brandywine, he earned a travel grant to film a promotional video for Brandywine Global Programs and has spoken at the fall honors symposium about a research paper he completed for one of his honors classes. Not being content to just go along for the ride, though, he co-created the Honors Student Association, a club on campus that gives honors students the chance to form even stronger connections outside of class by planning events and fundraisers.  

At the end of his second year at Brandywine, he’ll be heading up to University Park to finish his degree. That doesn’t mean he’ll leave all of Brandywine behind, though: along with completing his Schreyer’s thesis, he hopes to join the tennis and volleyball teams.  

When asked if he had any advice for incoming freshmen who might be considering the honors program, he couldn’t have phrased it any better: 

“Don’t be afraid to get involved early on at Brandywine. Penn State is an exciting place with lots of opportunities available so it’s important that everyone makes the most of it!” 

 

Maddie Malfara

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MEDIA, Pa. — When Maddie Malfara came to Penn State Brandywine she was a biomedical engineering major who planned to transfer to University Park after two years. Now as a junior, the Schreyer Honors scholar plans to stay put at Brandywine. Malfara switched her major to biology and is excelling in her field.

In high school, the biology classes Malfara took did not spark her interest, but an overall love of science brought her to an initial interest in engineering. Yet when she got to Brandywine and registered in biology courses, the more advanced and intriguing content changed her opinion of the subject.

She soon switched her major to Biology with a vertebrate physiology option.

“I love engineering and learned valuable skills, even during the short time I was taking classes for it, but changing to a biology major was one of the best decisions I’ve made while here,” Malfara said. “I figured out that I love science and want to do it for the rest of my life, and have had amazing opportunities to work with biology faculty on campus.”

Malfara began her research experience outside of the classroom by working in the Brandywine science labs as an assistant to the laboratory director. She spent this time putting out equipment for labs, learning how to make stock solutions of chemicals, and developing essential skills and laboratory methods.

After a year of working as an assistant, Malfara was craving a research-based opportunity and reached out to Brandywine biology professor, Dr. Megan Povelones, who agreed to let Malfara work in her lab. Projects that Malfara has worked on include mitochondrial dynamics such as fusion and fission in the model organisms T. brucei and C. fasciculata.

Malfara has an interest in how the content she is studying in classes relates to real world problems and diseases. Because she plans to attend medical school, she feels it is crucial for her to understand how diseases work on a cellular level.

Malfara states that being an honors scholar has offered her many opportunities. The honors course offerings each semester have pushed her to enroll in classes she wouldn’t necessarily think to take.

“Some of the honors classes I have taken I wouldn’t have normally registered for because they aren’t something I thought I would be interested in,” she said. “However, I end up enjoying them.”

Malfara has also taken advantage of the honors option opportunity. This allowed her to work on interesting projects with the science faculty that would otherwise be out of reach. Malfara believes that honors courses and options help students in finding their niche.

“It allows the students to have meaningful relationships with professors, pushes them to do research, and ultimately find out what they might want to do for the rest of their lives,” she said.

Malfara credits much of her success and the opportunities she has been given to the Brandywine science faculty, who have always been supportive of her education and future career.

As her senior year approaches, Malfara has been working with Dr. Povelones to hone in on a project for her honors thesis.

Outside of the lab, Malfara is the secretary for the Lion Ambassadors. She has played on the Brandywine softball team since her freshman year, and volunteers as a coach for the recreational softball teams in her community.

Malfara plans to continue to work in Dr. Povelones’s lab until she graduates. She aims to excel in the classes she has left and throw her energy into her honors thesis.

Malfara will graduate from Penn State Brandywine in Spring 2019. She plans to attend medical school.

Joseph Coyle

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MEDIA, Pa. — Joseph Coyle is a freshman engineering major at Penn State Brandywine. As a Jane E. Cooper honors scholar, Coyle used his first semester as a college student to help establish a student-led club, the Honors Student Association (HSA).

Coyle is a member of the club’s executive board, and serves as Vice President. He attended high school with the HSA’s President, Victor Ficarra. The two saw an opening to give the honors program and its students a new point of connection for social and networking opportunities.

“The goal was to have something social for honors students that wasn’t solely school orientated,” Coyle said. “We wanted a way for people to get to know each other.”

The HSA held their first meeting this past September. Coyle explained that for the first month the club mainly focused on gaining members. While numbers were initially low, they now have nearly 35 honors students involved in the HSA.

Coyle and his fellow board members aim to use the HSA as a way to support outings and events for the honors student community. He recognizes that while honors courses allow for close communication among peers, building friendships outside of the classroom is often easier when a group of students has something to work towards.

Coyle and the HSA recently held a Krispy Kreme fundraiser to help supplement the expenses for an end-of-the-semester event they hope to hold. Coyle said the HSA will continue its fundraising efforts and plans to hold a dodgeball tournament on campus.

Apart from the HSA, Coyle plays on the Brandywine soccer team. He chose to major in engineering after his high school courses sparked an interest in the subject.

“I took a lot of engineering classes in high school, and every time I took one I found it increasingly more interesting,” he said.

Coyle plans to take advantage of Penn State’s two and two program and complete his degree at University Park. His goal for the remainder of his college career is to gain as much experience as possible both in and out of the classroom.

“I want to have connections and network well,” he said. “Getting a degree and having good grades isn’t everything; I want to disperse my time and make sure I’m well-rounded, so when it comes to applying for jobs, it makes things a little easier.”

Coyle will continue to serve as Vice President of the HSA. He will transfer to University Park in fall 2019.

Adam Bivens

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MEDIA, Pa. — Adam Bivens—a senior English major and Schreyer scholar at Penn State Brandywine—has spent the last eight months tearing through countless texts and undergoing extensive research for his honors thesis. He aims to explore how worker movements are depicted in novels of 19th century England.

Bivens has been analyzing the relationship between how worker movements were viewed by the middle class, and how those perceptions are reflected in the literature of the era. He has been focusing on influential industrial novels and newspaper articles, noting relevant patterns as he evaluates.

“The texts I’ve studied confront the disparity between the ruling class and the working class,” Bivens said. “They feature scenes or commentary about worker strikes, trade unionism, mob violence, and revolutionary activity.”

While the texts Bivens studies are about two centuries old, Bivens stated that his motivation stems from the “reemergence of populism and reactionary ideologies in the United States and across Europe.”

“It’s no secret that there is a great divide in the world right now between the very wealthy few and the poverty-stricken, economically insecure masses,” he noted. “I saw an opportunity to write about this in a way that tested my development as a writer throughout my career at Penn State, while also focusing on a very important period in the history of English literature.”

Bivens admits that the thesis process seemed daunting at first. However, being an English major has offered him research opportunities and access to the faculty of the Brandywine English department.

Bivens has been working with professors who specialize in the time period his thesis explores. They have not only offered him advice on useful texts and research methods, but have also agreed to set time aside to guide him through the entire process.

Bivens feels that the honors thesis forces students to utilize the research, writing, and organizational skills they have acquired throughout their undergraduate career. His experience as a Schreyer scholar, while sometimes stressful and intimidating, is what has allowed him to grow both professionally and personally.

He fondly remembers his freshman year honors classes, and befriending people that would become his sources of inspiration and knowledge. Bivens explains that the program pushes students and forces them to look at concepts in unique ways.

“Sometimes you have to learn entirely different ways of thinking about things,” he said. “You might even have to question your assumptions, prejudices, and beliefs as you develop and mature. I think I’m a rather different person than I was four years ago.”

Bivens is an open advocate for English majors in the United States. He wants to educate people on the versatility and complexity of the degree that is often mistaken for nothing more than a ticket to becoming a teacher, or an excuse to be a bookworm for four years.

“The greatest tragedy in this world is telling children they can do whatever they want when they grow up only to trash their passions when they reach a certain age because their interests are not deemed as ‘profitable’ or worthwhile under the current economic status quo,” he said.

After graduation he plans to continue to educate people on the importance of literature, art, music, and history in our society.

“Find your path or cause, follow it even if you have doubts or if people try to point you in the direction they’ve set for you,” he said. “Do something—write a book, help people, paint, or sing. Create something. Leave a piece of yourself behind. If you’re a college student, do your part and fight to improve the world.”

Bivens is set to graduate in spring 2018 after spending four years at Penn State Brandywine.