Spotlight on Alumni

Here's what our graduates are saying...

I always knew I was interested in healthcare, but that I didn't want to be a doctor.  My freshman year, I decided to major in Communication because it interested me. I was surprised to learn that there was an entire field dedicated to health communication and found that my teachers were always willing to meet outside of class and discuss what this entailed. As a result of our discussions, I learned that I could go to graduate school in Public Health and make a career out of my two passions - communication and healthcare. My Honors College Independent Study and Bachelor's Essay gave me the opportunity to further explore this area of study and to make sure it was what I truly wanted to do. The research that I did for my Bachelor's Essay helped to prepare me for graduate school, even though I entered the program straight from undergrad with little work experience. I am currently studying at Johns Hopkins University, a school known for their Public Health program, with people from all over the world who have been working in the field of Public Health for years. However, I am confident in my ability to ‘hold my own’ among them because of the experiences I had in the Honors College at the College of Charleston.

   
Iris Kemp '10
Greenwood, SC
Major: Marine Biology
Minors: Psychology and Chemistry
Graduate School: University of Washington, Marine Biology

"My favorite part of the Honors College was definitely the people. The Honors College is a close-knit community within the larger College of Charleston campus. The faculty and staff are incredible – they are always eager to offer help and support. Being an Honors College student afforded me many opportunities, both academic and extracurricular. I held officer positions in the Honors Student Association and the Biology Club. I had a summer internship at the Rutgers University Marine Field Station, studying schooling fish behavior around piers in the Hudson River. I continued this project at the College of Charleston the following semester as an independent study.  I did a tutorial on deep-sea hatchetfish, which eventually developed into my bachelor's essay. It was a systematic analysis of a hatchetfish species complex in which I identified a new species.  I also got the chance to study abroad, which included a biology course in Spain and an honors quest for King Arthur and the Holy Grail in England and Wales."

 
Joseph Saei '10
Knoxville, TN
Major: Philosophy
Minors: French and Communication Studies 
Post-Graduate Activity: Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in Morocco

"Here at the College, I have been able to take an interdisciplinary approach to my education, and I have found a wealth of intellectual fodder across the departments. I have particularly enjoyed Honors College social events and lectures, a year-long bachelor's thesis project, and three independent studies in philosophy. In what seemed a very brief four years here, I've studied Medieval Islamic philosophy, formal symbolic logic, identity politics, French, Arabic, economic philosophy, astronomy, statistics, meta-mathematical theory, and business ethics. My senior year, I worked on a bachelor's thesis on the philosophical hermeneutics of Hans-George Gadamer (20th century theory of interpretation and understanding in the human sciences). The financial independence provided by a generous College of Charleston Foundation scholarship even allowed me to spend my time outside of class wisely by volunteering and getting involved on campus. At the College, getting a good deal didn't mean having to compromise quality of experience or breadth of opportunity. I've studied abroad twice, one time with partial and another time with full support from nationally competitive grants. After graduation, I wasn't struggling to figure out the next step, because the close mentorship I received from Honors College faculty helped me plan for the future. Thanks to the College, my post-graduation choices were to attend a top-10 law school or to join the Peace Corps. The College of Charleston has given me more than I imagined was possible for a four-year, rigorous, liberal arts  and sciences degree: financial independence, unprecedented advising resources, and intellectual latitude in choosing a specialized course of study."

 
Phillip Chisholm '07
Columbia, SC
Majors: Biochemistry and Chemistry
Graduate School: Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine

"I've known since high school that I wanted to become a physician. I'd heard a lot about the science programs at the College and particularly liked the close relationship that a number of departments have with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). I decided the College was my first choice after I met with the chair of the chemistry and biochemistry department. One summer, I was able to work with post docs in the analytical chemistry lab at MUSC. We used mass spectroscopy techniques to study and analyze the level of contaminants in the environment. The experience gave me a chance to decide once and for all whether I wanted to go into medicine or research after graduation."

Tadj Schreck '07
Irmo, SC
Major: Biology
Minor: French
Graduate School: University of California, Irvine

"Honors College housing is a big plus. From the beginning, you get to know everyone you are going to have classes with. One year, I was  a resident advisor. I continued living on campus because I enjoyed the activities that are designed specially for Honors College students, and it was great to have built-in study groups in the residence hall."

John Florence '07
Charleston, SC
Major: Business Administration
Completed a summer internship with IMG in New York City
Graduate School: University of South Carolina School of Law

"What drew me to the College in the first place was the strong business program and the appeal of the Honors College. I completed an independent study requirement, which included an internship. I spent the summer in New York City with IMG, the world's largest sportsmarketing firm. I helped book speakers for corporate events. Meeting people from all over the world in the Honors College helped a lot when I was in New York. Also, what I did for IMG was based on research and writing skills – the same things that are emphasized in the Honors College and within a liberal arts and sciences institution."

Chelsea Dunn '06
Lynchburg, VA
Majors: English and Sociology
Minors: Political Science and Crime, Law, and Society
Graduate School: University of Richmond School of Law

 "I was sold on the College of Charleston when I came here to visit during an open house. What I enjoyed most about the Honors College was the interdisciplinary nature of the classes. In the law and society class, for example, the professor took current events and applied them to contract law. We went into affirmative action, the death penalty, the war in Iraq. I also did an independent study on the Lost Generation with the chair of the English department. That was really fascinating. Through the Honors College, I found many opportunities to stand out and become involved. My Crime, Law, and Society minor required an internship. I spent a semester as a child victim advocacy intern with People Against Rape, which made me interested in helping victims. I did my bachelor's essay on the non-prescription use of Adderall and was a research assistant for one of my professors, who was studying the communication between prisoners and the outside world in maximum security institutions."

Claire Jarvis '06
Maryville, TN
Major: History
Minors: Hispanic Studies and Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Taught history in Chile and received a Rotary Scholarship to study in Latin America

"I can't imagine a better place to have a college experience than in the city of Charleston, with the College of Charleston faculty, in the Honors College community. Early on, I knew that I wanted to be in Charleston. I applied to the Honors College because I wanted to live in a compact community within a larger community. I was so impressed with the preparedness and level of scholarship of the students in the Honors College. The advising we received was phenomenal and the Socratic method used in honors classes really made us be on our game. I spent a semester in Chile and completed my bachelor's essay on the Christians for Socialism Movement. I hope one day to get my Ph.D. and become a college professor."