First year University Scholars have the opportunity to join a vibrant and nurturing community, the Scholars Village, housed on floors 2-4 of Sullivan Residence Hall. Every village resident will participate in a Village In Action (VIA) group. Through the VIA program, village residents will take part in a series of specially-planned events that will allow them to interact closely with their peers, an upper class Scholars Village Assistant (SVA), and a professional staff member. These events will also count towards their Scholars Forum events requirement.
These opportunities to travel, to hear the latest cutting edge news from the newsmakers themselves, to gain exposure to the ideas percolating throughout our society,—these opportunities provide University Scholars the very real and necessary benefit of becoming further connected to the world around them and becoming a well-rounded and involved citizen. But don't just take our word for it! Here is what our recent graduates have said about the program:
"Scholars Forum was very exciting and enlightening. Thank you for opening my eyes beyond the scope of university classes and work!"
-Imran Aukhil, '09, Environmental Design
"The USP exposed me to so many cultures over the last 3.5 years. Some favorites have been the documentaries, the musical performances, and the life changing Spring Break trip to London and Paris that influenced me to live abroad after graduation. Keep up the amazing work! Definitely the best student program at NC State!"
-Olivia Campbell, '09, Microbiology
"Through the Scholars Forum, I was able to gain exposure to a wide variety of educational and cultural topics of interest that I would never have been exposed to otherwise. The honors courses also forced me to work to my full potential and gave me the motivation to dig deeper into the course material and enrich my learning process."
-Jacob Case, '09, Accounting
"Scholars teaches you to be more well-rounded in your education and learning, have a global mind set, and truly think about what is going on in our world today."
-Rachel Gardner, '09, Biological Sciences
"I loved the Scholars Program. It balanced my science heavy curriculum and I loved how much I got to travel!"
-Hannah Litzenberger, '09, Natural Resources
"Many of the most exciting things that I did at NCSU were related to the University Scholars Program. Trips with the Outdoor Leadership Series, Border Issues trips, Language Exchange and so many of the Forum events and speakers provided a deep enrichment to my college experience that I don't know how I would have found anywhere else."
-Ryan Nilsen, '09, English and International Studies
"The unique experiences offered a broad perspective on different topics. I particularly liked the fact that I could explore topics outside of engineering. I loved that the USP gave me a chance to look beyond my major."
-Dustin Tuttle, '09, Civil Engineering
"I found the forums to be extremely interesting. I learned a lot of practical information that really got me thinking. Almost every week, I'd leave forum all fired up about what I had learned. Taking courses for honors credit really allowed me to make connections with my professors. Instead of being one student lost in the crowd, I was able to be recognized by my professors, which really was beneficial for me."
-Kellie Vinal, '09, Microbiology
