RSU Honors Program Selects Newest Class of Scholars

Twenty students from Oklahoma high schools have been selected to join the latest class of Rogers State University’s Honors Program.

Now in its second year, the RSU Honors Program selected the students from more than 50 qualified applicants, representing 22 high schools, who were seeking spots for the highly competitive honor, said Dr. Jim Ford, director of the RSU Honors Program.

“This is an outstanding group of students who have been selected,” Ford said. He noted that the average grade point average for the class is a 3.93, with an average ACT Composite score of 28. The class includes several valedictorians, salutatorians, two newspaper editors and two National Honor Society presidents. The students have been active in community service organizations, as well as their high school organizations such as choir, band, drama, FFA, football, baseball, Boys State, volleyball, chess club and more.

Students selected for the RSU Honors Program will receive a scholarship package that fully covers tuition, fees, books, on-campus housing and a $500 annual stipend. Eighteen students were selected for the inaugural honors program class in fall 2005.

The honors program offers students unique benefits including priority enrollment and specialized honors classes with curriculum geared for students desiring additional academic challenges. Opportunities also exist for faculty/student joint research projects and other involvement within the student’s area of academic interest.

The honors program has a strong “service learning” emphasis that will allow students to work closely with government agencies, social service agencies, or non-commercial entities to round out their academic studies. Such service learning projects will be “real world” experience that directly relates to the student’s areas of academic or professional interests.

Qualified students were invited to campus this spring for personal interviews with the Honors Program selection committee. Those selected for the RSU Honors Program include the following students, listed alphabetically with their high school designated:

Keith Baucom, Porter;

Samuel Bavido, Claremore, home-schooled;

Sarah Brown, Oktaha;

Emily Burdell, Owasso;

Adam Dan, Prague;

Megan Edmonds, Chouteau;

Clayton Froese, Inola;

Matthew Jobe, Oklahoma Union;

Nicole Jones, Oklahoma Union;

Diana Kuehn, Oklahoma Union;

Jeremy Landsaw, Inola;

Kendra Lemons, Pryor;

Kathryn McLaughlin, Oologah;

Creston Moon, Prague;

Mallory Pace, Claremore;

Ashley Raffensperger, Oklahoma Union;

Whitley Reese, Oklahoma Union;

Brian Richmond, Collinsville;

William Velharticky, Chickasha; and

Peter Woodson, Sand Springs, home-schooled.

For more information on the RSU Honors program, call (918) 343-7749.