Ben Burke is a freshman Honors student who is majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Accountancy. He has been nominated for the Steve Carroll First-Year Student Involvement Award.
At the close of his first year of college, Ben said the benefits of the Honors Program have been phenomenal. First of all, he recognizes that early registration is “huge!” He knows of other students who are not in Honors who had a difficult time getting the classes they wanted—so he really appreciates this perk! Second, he said that Honors sections of classes have provided a stimulating learning environment for him. Furthermore, he said Honors Freshman Seminar provided the awesome opportunity to make a 4-year plan of study. He found it so useful that he has encouraged his non-Honors friends to make one. Ben also really enjoyed some of the workshops he attended as assignments for Freshman Seminar—ones he probably wouldn’t have attended on his own. With the support from an attentive Honors advisor, Ben feels that the Honors Program provides a personal environment—one where he is not just a number.
Ben has started his college career at an amazing tempo. He is a member of the Business Administration Association and the Student Accountancy Society, which he says are great networking opportunities. He is also a member of Honors Student Organization (HSO) so he can stay in touch with all of the Honors happenings. Ben participated in the Senior Professional Mentorship Program this year and plans to continue this program next year. Ben is a member of Circle K International and was recently elected Vice President of this service club. He says he loves volunteering and making an impact on the lives of others. He especially enjoys the Boys & Girls Club because the need for volunteers is so great.
Ben was recently selected to be a member of the Honors Program Student Assistants Leadership Team (SALT). This new program was developed to provide leadership opportunities for SALT members, while building a sense of community among Honors Program students. Ben will be a great asset to the team as they implement and host special events and activities.
Leadership is not a new concept for Ben. He started his own painting business (Student Painters) in November 2006. He has been working on a marketing plan, recruiting students to work on paint crews, making estimates, and other activities to get his business started. This summer you will likely find him with a paint brush in hand!
You may wonder if Ben spends any time on academics with such an active schedule?! He truly has a gift for time-management! Ben earned 14 hours of Honors credit last fall and is completing four in-course Honors projects this spring. He will finish his freshman year with 21 hours of Honors credit.
His advice? Get involved!
