The Honors Program at St. Thomas Aquinas College is growing and for a significant reason. The unique program gives students the experience of the inter-relatedness of knowledge while introducing a passion for learning that goes beyond the classroom.
Offering small classes and purposefully curated experiential learning opportunities, Honors Program students engage in a rigorous core curriculum designed to challenge and inspire.
A key element of this program is the opportunity to study at Oxford. The experience allows Honors Program students to spend 3 weeks studying at the University of Oxford during the summer before their senior year under a full scholarship provided by the College.
Dr. Meghan De Witt, Honors Program Director, noted: “We are proud to have welcomed our largest Honors class earlier this fall. Honors students at STAC lead the school in-service opportunities, academic success, and leadership throughout their four years of study. They experience unique classes, culminating in the amazing opportunity to study at Oxford. This experience provides a paradigm shift for our students as they experience a global learning environment and are exposed to ideas and experiences that are life-altering and unforgettable.”
Along with taking classes at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Honors Program students immersed themselves in the culture and history of the United Kingdom, traveling throughout England and visiting sites such as the British Museum, Stonehenge, The Prime Meridian, and Big Ben. To supplement their studies, they also visited many notable literary landmarks, touring the homes of Shakespeare, Rudyard Kipling, and J. R. R. Tolkien, and visiting the Charles Dickens Museum. When the students weren’t in class or sightseeing, they enjoyed dining at Merton Hall and studying in the breathtaking Bodleian Library.
STAC Honors student Katherine Cording ‘23 feels that the summer Oxford trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “I’m so grateful to the STAC Honors Program for giving me the chance to go on this amazing trip. I spent three weeks studying Shakespeare’s works and was able to travel both to Stratford-upon-Avon to see the Royal Shakespeare Company Perform and visit the Globe in London. As an English major, it was a dream come true. This trip to Oxford was something I was looking forward to ever since I joined STAC as a freshman, and it lived up to my every expectation! As for the Honors Program itself, it has helped me make a lot of connections, both with my peers and with professors, that I cherish a lot. The experiences I have had throughout the Honors Program will stay with me long after I graduate.”