Honors_Newsletter_Fall2020

The NSU Honors program has been involved with multiple community service projects this semester! We have had the opportunity to serve the community, students, and faculty through these events. There have been four main community service events this semester including Snack Packs, Meals on Wheels, Bell Ringing, and Thanksgiving Cards. The students have loved the opportunity to assist our community and are consistently excited to help out in any way they can. The NSU honors president, James Heisinger, explains that “NSU Honors students have shown more enthusiasm for volunteering and community service this year than in any other year. Whenever I've asked for volunteers at our meetings, about 100 hands shoot up every time. It's been great to see that excitement and eagerness about getting involved in the Aberdeen community." There have been over 170 snack packs created this semester for the students in quarantine from COVID. The snacks were each donated by faculty and students from across campus and the packs were put together by Honors students every Thursday afternoon, then distributed by Residence Life on Fridays. Our Meals on Wheels event provided the chance for honors students to deliver meals on wheels with the Aberdeen Senior Center every Friday at 10:45am. The event allows students to bring meals to the doors of those who need them in a contactless manner. The Bell Ringing for Salvation Army ran from November 17 th -19 th and included students helping raise donations by ringing outside of local stores such as Kessler’s, Runnings, and Hobby Lobby. The Thanksgiving Cards were created during the November 4 th meeting. Students wrote thank you notes to former teachers that impacted their lives and cards for residents in local nursing homes. The Honors students have loved the opportunity to serve the community and school. This year’s events have looked slightly different due to the constraints from COVID but as our honors president explains “Serving as Honors President this year has been as rewarding as it has been demanding. It's never easy to navigate an organization at a time when all of our trademark events have either been cancelled or altered, but myself, Dr. Bockorny, and the officer team have tried our best to give Honors students the same great experience they've had in the past”. We are excited about future events and cannot wait to see the opportunities for next semester! Dr. Kristi Bockorny began her new role as NSU Honors Program director in January. Bockorny is an associate professor of management and has been teaching at NSU since 2009. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and a bachelor’s degree in education from NSU. She holds a master’s degree in management and a Ph.D. in human capital management. When asked why she was interested in being honors director, Bockorny gave many reasons, but was clear that she was most excited to work with the students. “The students at NSU are amazing,” she said. “They are motivated, engaged and hardworking. It is an honor for me to be part of this program.” Bockorny credits Dr. Erin Fouberg, the previous honors director, for building a solid program. Bockorny appreciates the rigor and research that have been standards in the program. She also sees the Common Read as a valuable experience for the campus. When asked about what events she was looking forward to this year, Bockorny mentioned community service opportunities and teaching the honors seminars. She would like to see honors students giving back through service opportunities on campus and in the community. Most students enjoy these opportunities and a lot of good can be accomplished. NSU Honors Community Service Honors Program Welcomes New Director Northern State University Honors Program 4