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Jerel Marshall, 404-413-5577
University Honors College
Despite being on the job for less than a year, the Founding Dean of the Georgia State Honors College, Dr. Larry Berman, has set some lofty goals, and he shared these goals with GSU’s latest batch of high-achieving students at this year’s Honors Convocation.
“Within in the next seven years, Georgia State will have its first Rhodes Scholar—its first Truman Scholar,” Berman said to a room packed with freshman honors students. “There is no reason we can’t do it.”
To help make this dream a reality, Berman announced that the Honors College is currently recruiting a National Scholarship Coordinator that will be responsible for helping students apply for prestigious post-graduate scholarships.
Georgia State University President Mark Becker said he thinks prepping students for scholarships is an important component for any honors college.
“I have had the experience of working with a number of honors colleges over the course of my career,” President Becker said. “A well-functioning honors college creates an environment where you are cultivated to be competitive.”
Berman also enlisted the help of current Georgia State University professor and former Rhodes Scholar Ryan Rowberry, to speak at convocation about his experience as a scholar and his love of education.
“Education is a privilege,” Rowberry said. “Having lived in a lot of countries I have seen a lot of people that were denied education. They would give anything to sit where you are right now. If you take education as a privilege rather than a right, it will transform the way you view your studies.”
Georgia State University Provost Risa Palm attended the convocation to speak about the importance of the Honors College.
“The Honors College is something we really wanted to see as a reality,” Palm said. “It was a major part of the strategic plan.”
The Honors College also issued the first copies of their brand new undergraduate research journal, Discovery. This journal marks the first time many students have had their work published.
Current honors college student Yohanna Cerna, whose research is featured in Discovery’s inaugural issue, said she hopes the latest class of honors students make use of all of the resources the Honors College provides.
“I hope you guys have fun your next four years here and take advantage of every opportunity the Honors College gives you, because it’s an amazing experience,” Cerna said.
Honors College alum Ese Okuma, who is currently attending the University of Virginia School of Law as Hardy Cross Dillard Scholarship recipient, was also on hand to explain how the Honors experience helped her achieve her goals.
“The Honors College gave me the competitive edge to stand out from the best and the brightest students in the nation in the law school application pool,” Okuma said.