Fourteen Honors Program students at Illinois State University have been named Robert G. Bone Scholars for the 2016-17 academic year. This is the first time in five years all Bone Scholars have been Honors students. Recipients include: Michael Braun, William Darrow, Jackie Durnil, Alexis Econie, Alexandra Ferrara, Nora Fredstrom, Adrianne Howe, Lauren Koszyk, Agnes Kowalski, Kasey Ockerlund, Beau Ott, Tejas Patel, Matthew Porter, and Colby Spengler.
Howe, a junior psychology and communication sciences and disorders student says, “Being in the Honors Program has given me the opportunity to work closely with some amazing professors while conducting Honors Research, and they pushed me to complete an Honors Thesis this year. I feel so fortunate to be able to work with such passionate people, and I think their support is one of the main reasons I was able to earn this award.”
As part of the 2016 digital badging initiative, the Honors Program has created a new Bone Scholarship badge.
The Bone Scholarship, the highest university-wide honor given to undergraduate students, includes a $3,300 monetary award from the Bone Scholarship endowment. Pictures of the recipients are displayed in the Bone Student Center and their names are engraved on a permanently displayed plaque. The new scholars will be introduced during a September 18 luncheon.
The scholarship is named in honor of the late Robert G. Bone, former president of Illinois State University. Bone Scholars are selected through a rigorous campus-wide competition on the basis of their scholarly achievements and their engagement and leadership in activities in the university community and beyond.
This year, 54 invited finalists submitted a comprehensive portfolio, featuring several essays and statements, a project, and five letters of recommendation.
Selection committee members included: Allison Alcorn, Marc Bulandr, Maureen Christensen, Brian Horn, John Lust, Cara Rabe-Hemp, Steve Stapleton, Roberta Trites, and Linda Yap.
Newly named Bone Scholars like Colby Spengler identify the Honors Program as integral to their success. Spengler, a junior music education major, says, “The Honors Program has provided me with many unique opportunities, such as a better connection with professors and students in Honors Sections, and a greater depth of learning through my Honors Contracts. These extra experiences have been essential in strengthening my character as a student at ISU.”
Fellow music student Lauren Koszyk agrees. “My Honors Independent Study in music facilitated independent work alongside truly exceptional faculty, and I was able to present my research at local and national levels,” says Koszyk, a junior piano performance and German double major. “By tailoring my education at ISU to my interests and needs, I have been able to excel and further my passion for my profession.”
