Conference funding from the Campuswide Honors Collegium (CHC) supports current honors students in attending and participating in academic and professional conferences. Funding is generated by the CHC Endowment, which was founded by CHC alumni, and is contributed to by alumni, parents, and friends of the CHC. We’ve been able to offer this support for several years and our students have attended conferences around the world.
Campuswide Honors students have a lot to offer in terms of research knowledge and active participation. They also have a lot to gain as students and growing professionals, both from learning to present and participate at conferences (cultivating skills such as public speaking and networking), and from being exposed to cutting edge information in fields that matter to them.
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11 Students supported |
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Conference locations Orange County · Riverside · Los Angeles · San Francisco · Houston · Chicago · Washington, D.C. · Utrecht, Netherlands |
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Up to $500 in funding per student |
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Conferences attended Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research · National Society for Minorities in Honors Conference · Western Regional Honors Council Conference · Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Western Regional Meeting · National Women’s Conference · Clinton Global Initiative University · Association of Psychological Science Annual Convention · International Society for Environmental Epidemiology |
Michelle Krehbiel (’19), recent Campuswide Honors Alumna and Orange County real estate broker, received funding to attend the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) in Chicago so she could formulate the business plan for the Ascend Project. Read on for Michelle’s take on this valuable experience.
“I created the Ascend Project to advance impoverished youth. At the heart of the program is a desire to help youth overcome the psychological impacts of poverty. Along with a lack of financial resources comes a combination of other stressors, and it’s often these stressors that impact youth the most, creating lasting effects that are difficult to overcome. The program is designed to challenge limiting cognitions and promote a growth mind-set through the use of various activities.
If it weren’t for Campuswide Honors, I wouldn’t have been able to attend the CGIU conference in Chicago. They were the main source of funding to cover my expenses. They were always there for me when I had a question or needed anything.
Participation in the CGIU helped me realize the difference one person can make in their community. They provided mentorship and helped me formulate my business plan. Collaboration with the organization helped to give my project credibility in the community.
Without the Campuswide Honors Collegium, there would be no Ascend Project. It was an honors seminar I took, Latino Childhoods, that prepared me for my experiences with young Latinx and helped to inform my work in the program. The thesis requirement for honors motivated me to dig deeper into the lived experiences of this group and impacted my desire to be involved.
I’ve only just begun to plant a seed with my program. When I think about the enormity of the problem of poverty in Orange County, it’s overwhelming. I try to focus on the people that I’ve been able to help in such a short amount of time. I know that for at least 15 at-risk youth, I’m making a difference, and I’m committed to continuing to help them in their journey. If you would like to help, please reach out to me at michelle@theascendproject.org.”