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The Eagles NestHonors Quarterly Newsletter
Florida Gulf Coast University Volume 2 Issue 7Photo courtesy of
Florida Gulf Coast University Library
Florida Gulf Coast University 1
A Look Back at Spring 2015Congratulations from Dr. Nicola
Foote
As we wrap up the 2014-2015 AY, I want to congratulate all of
our Honors students on one of the most successful years ever. We
took in our largest class of Freshman students ever; had our most
competitive internal admissions cycle; and are graduating a record
class of 78 students.
This year has been one of spectacular and noteworthy successes
at every level. Honors students have won nearly all of the
university-wide prizes. A stunning 8 out of 10 Hall of Fame
Honorees were Honors students: congratulations to Hannah Amundson,
Romel Durandisse, Madeline Heath, Jason Hoop, Lucy Leban, Christie
Mauretour, Jordan Nation and Emma Svensson. Excitingly, Honors
students were named Student of the Year in two of our five
colleges: congratulations to Ken Esquilin, Lutgert College of
Business Student of the Year and to Lucy Leban, College of Arts and
Sciences Student of the Year. Honors students won all of the major
prizes at Community Engagement Day: congratulations to Lori
Boegershausen, winner of the inaugural Community-Based Research
Award; Lexi Siegle co-winner of the Exceptional Foundations of
Civic Engagement Project; Sarah Davenport and Marshall Nathanson
winner of the Phenomenal First Year Student Service-Learning
Project; and to Ginger Allen and Lucy Leban, winner of the Best
Overall Non-Course Service Project for their work with Amnesty
International. Special congratulations to Emma Green, who was this
years sole recipient of the Newman Civic Fellow award from
President Bradshaw.>> Continued on Page 6
Student SpotlightKenneth Esquilin
Photo courtesy of FGCU Honors Program
the ways I learned them in the past, so I didnt really mind
taking some courses over. To me it was kind of refreshing to do
that.
Throughout his time at FGCU, Ken has had an admirable impact on
the University. He credits his 2-year involvement with the Honors
Program as the catalyst for his campus engagement. Furthermore, Ken
has given back to the Honors Program by serving as an Honors
Mentor. His eyes lit up when he described what a joy it has been to
help younger students stay on course with their pursuits of
academic excellence and to guide and show them that they can work
things out on their own if they talk it out and problem solve.
It was his nomination for Undergraduate Student of the Year that
made him realize all of the incredible things he has been part of
at FGCU. This whole time has been rewarding for me, Ken said. One
of his ideas from 2 years ago inspired a professors published
work.>> Continued on Page 2
Inside this issue... Honors Letter Page 1 Congratulations from
Dr. Nicola FooteStudent Spotlight Page 1 Kenneth EsquilinHonors
Event Spotlight Page 2 Honors Bake-Off FGCU Hall of Fame Page 3/4
2015 Honors Inductees Graduate List Page 5Artist Spotlight Page 6
Heather Borrelli
Student of the Year Ken Esquilin has lead an inspiring life.
From his beginnings in Germany, he served in the military for about
8 years and subsequently worked for the U.S. federal government.
Several years after moving to Florida on the cusp of the
millennium, Ken decided to go back to school. Im a bit older than
most people here. It required a little updatingtechnology wise. Ken
said with a smile. The ways people engage with each other nowadays
is quite different from
Photo courtesy of FGCU Honors Program
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Florida Gulf Coast University 2
May 2015 Honors Program Newsletter
Honors Event SpotlightHonors Bake-Off
This year the Honors Bake-Off was an immediate success. We had
an extraordinary turn out with attendance of 161 students. Honors
Students gathered from near and far to line up in hopes of being
the first one to taste all of the desserts. There were 19 delicious
entries that ranged from gooey cobbler to vegan smoothie pie.
Each entry brought a unique flavor to the event. There were all
types of cookies, cupcakes, pies, bars, cobblers, and vegan
choices. With stuffed mouths, students raved about the event and
each of the entries.
After long and hard deliberation the judges announced the
winners. Zyon Simmons won first place with both of his entries: the
warm Peach Cobbler and Gooey Cake. Taylor Power was shocked and
thrilled to have won second place with her family recipe for Banana
Bread. She shared, I really just wanted to participate to share my
familys banana bread recipe with my friends! We had about 20 frozen
bananas in my dorm, so it seemed like the perfect thing to make for
the bake-off. I certainly didnt expect my banana bread to win over
other classic desserts.
Kate Moran won third place with her Apple Crumbcake. They were
each rewarded for their placement with gift cards of varying
amounts. All of the hard work that was put into this event really
shown through and left this event with a delightful aftertaste in
all of our mouths. The Honors Program has taken notice and will
work to make this event or events similar to this an annual
occurrence.
-Danielle Christy
Student Spotlight Continued from Page 1
Additionally, having learned French right here on campus from
not having any previous knowledge of the language, he was able to
take his newfound skill and give it back to the community. Ken
paid-it-forward by presenting a puppet show at the campus daycare.
He presented his program at Community Engagement Day last year and
looks for ways to evolve that program in the future.
By studying Management and Human Resources at FGCU, Ken has been
able to see that it is truly a process. Last year, he was offered
the opportunity to open a caf for Living Waters Community Church.
Having never before started a business from ground zero, with
nothing to benchmark from, the caf is now up, thriving, and
tracking in the black the first 6 months of operation. The skill
set Ken earned from his studies at FGCU have enabled him to
directly apply his knowledge and meet success in the business
world.
Photo by Emma Green
Photo by Danielle Christy
Spring 2015Honors Award
RecipientsLeadershipLori BoegershausenMadeline HeathEmma
SvenssonMichael TolvoRomel Durandisse
Global Citizenship Vanessa L. FernandezTalissa SotoEmmalyn
Green
Service and Community Engagement Emmalyn GreenJason HoopMadeline
Heath
Academic/Professional Daniel Franco Lori BoegershausenRomel
DurandisseBettina BothaMeagan Jenkins
Building the Honors Community Jessica BakerEmmalyn GreenJames
TillLori Boegershausen
Sustainability and Environmental Justice Tia RoweMarshall
NathansonLori Boegershausen
Personal Excellence Elizabeth MeansToria KwanEmma SvenssonLori
BoegershausenEmmalyn Green
Outstanding First- Year Montana KnightMarshall NathansonRichard
Cassell
Ken will graduate this spring with a degree in Management (with
a concentration in Human Resources) and a minor in French. In the
future, he plans to incorporate social and environmental
responsibility into his business ventures.
Kens last piece of advice for his fellow Eagles to remember that
More important than academic excellence and your involvement is the
spirit you take with you.
-Cassandra Ellis
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May 2015 Honors Program Newsletter
Florida Gulf Coast University 3
Florida Gulf Coast University Congratulations!
The Florida Gulf Coast University Hall of Fame is the highest
recognition given to student leaders at FGCU. The Hall of Fame is
reserved for those students who have demonstrated superior
leadership, integrity, and achievement through their leadership
activities, service, scholarship, and academic excellence while
members of the Florida Gulf Coast University community.
Photo courtesy of Jason Hoop
Photo courtesy of Madeline Heath
Photo courtesy of Jordan Nation
Photo courtesy of Hannah Amundson
Jason Hoop
Madeline Heath
Jordan Nation
Hannah Amundson
A professor once told me, If you dont wake up every morning with
the intent to learn some-thing new, what is the point of getting
out of bed? That statement hit home to me and since hearing it I
have strived to make a commitment to learning something new every
day whether it be educational or just for fun. In doing so, Honors
has served as a medium for which I have been able to utilize as a
tool to encourage and push me to learn more and to make the most
out of my collegiate experience.
I came to FGCU my junior year of college as a community college
transfer student and received a full-tuition scholarship for being
an All-Florida Academic Team recipient in community college through
my Phi Theta Kappa chapter (International Honor Society). I wanted
to become involved
right away because that is how I meet people and make
connections. Honors has specifically contributed to my success by
encouraging me to take risks and move out of my comfort zone in
order to become successful and stand out among the crowd. I
would not have made connections with people such as Dean Wohlpart
without the opportunities that the Honors program offers to
high achieving students.
I believe being an Orientation Leader was the biggest piece of
my college puzzle that led me to where I am. Everything I learned
about leadership I learned from orientation. The skills
I developed as an OL helped me to accomplish everything I have
done, including being accepted into the honors program.
I would say that in my time at FGCU, what has led me to being
where I am today is by trying new things and staying focused on
school. Honors has contributed to my success by enabling me to be
surrounded by a community of students and faculty who are
extremely
motivated, incredibly interesting, and who support each others
efforts and successes.
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May 2015 Honors Program Newsletter
Florida Gulf Coast University 4
2015 Hall of Fame Inductees
Photo courtesy of Christie Mauretour
Photo courtesy of Romel Durandisse
Photo courtesy of Emma Svensson
Photo courtesy of Lucy Leban
Christie Mauretour
Romel Durandisse
Emma Svensson
Lucy Leban
Being a college student and living so far away from home has
taught me great time man-agement skills, how to prioritize things
in life, and most of all how to make wise decisions.
Being part of Florida Gulf Coast University international
student program gave me the confidence and the tools needed to
integrate my new community. Being part of the Honors
Program has helped me develop strong leadership skills and gave
me multiple opportunities to strengthen my mathematical skills by
doing Honors contracts in my math classes.
I believe my involvement on the campus of FGCU has had a
tremendous influence on my induction into the FGCU Hall of Fame.
Throughout my college experience, I have taken
on numerous leadership positions and worked on several projects
with different faculties that facilitate my qualification as an
inductee. Being in the Honors program has allowed me to improve my
communication and writing skills by taking classes that are outside
of my mathematics degree requirements. In addition, completing the
Honors requirements
opened my eyes about innovative ways that I can apply the
knowledge that I have acquired in class. This application of
knowledge helped me to solve the real life problems that I have
encountered.
It is always difficult pointing out what specifically brings us
to where we are in life; there are so many factors at play.
However, the Honors Program has definitely helped me gain
experience and learn things I have used on the road to becoming who
I am today. In the Program, I have had the opportunity to network
with students that have accomplished some amazing things, whether
it being published in a journal or completing amazing
service learning projects. These people have inspired me in the
pursuit of becoming a more committed and motivated student,
scholar, athlete, and friend.
I was able to study abroad, participate in an internship in
Washington, D.C., and conduct research through the National Science
Foundation. Through each of these experiences,
Honors was instrumental. Dr. Kelly and Dr. Foote were a
tremendous asset for me because they encouraged me to seek out
extra-curricular opportunities. Further, the Honors Program pushes
students to excel beyond academics, by providing support for
students who wish to strengthen their experience in the five
pillars of Honors, each of which each of which bears
much similarity with the Hall of Fame criteria.
This year eight of the10 students chosen for the Hall of Fame
were Honors students. If you would like to read more about these
students, visit the Honors Blog under News!
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May 2015 Honors Program Newsletter
Florida Gulf Coast University 5
Ginger AllenHailey AmundsonHannah AmundsonJames BeansMarco
BianchiBethany BohallBettina BothaBrandi BotschKathryn BrewerHeath
CallahanAllyson ClancyAndrew CusumanoStevie DefeliceMegan
DeremiahKaley DietrichRomel DurandisseChris EckmanDaniella
EscobarKenneth EsquilinAlexandr FeldmanVanessa FernandezDrew
FlowerdayKrystle FredMarshall GoodwinTodd GriebMallory
HansellChelsey HansonJeffrey HarveyMadeline HeathTiara HesterTrisha
HitchingsJason HoopEmilie HoustonKelly HowardKerilyn HyerKacey
Jackson-DavisRose-El Dynn Jean-JacquesWesley JohnsonBret
KaiserJeri-Nichole Kendall
Congratulations!
Spring 2015Spring 2015
Honors GraduatesSpring 2015
Honors Graduates
Toria Kwan Lucy Leban Dianna LoescherEmily MalinoskyChristie
MauretourMegan McDevittEmily MenendezGalli MeyerKatelyn
MoranNicholas MorozovLauren MossLauren MuellerJordan NationSarah
NorrisCorinne OlsenChristian PadgettMelissa PaniaguaLauren
PaulAndre PhelpsJames PorcoAlexandra PuscasEmery RamaswamiNowele
RechkaAlyssa ReidyChristopher RohlingTia RoweNicholas
SaracioneSamantha ScholppJessel SerranoTalissa SotoAmanda
StraussEmma SvenssonEduardo TavelTaylor ThalackerKelly
UssiaJonathan VossEtienne WassonTyler WilsonAmanda Yazejian
FGCUHonors Prgram
Photo courtesy of FGCU Honors Program
Photo courtesy of FGCU
Photo courtesy of FGCU
Photo courtesy of FGCU
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Florida Gulf Coast University 6
May 2015 Honors Program Newsletter
Artist SpotlightHeather Borrelli
Photo by Danielle Christy
First-Year year Music Major, Heather Borrelli, has discovered an
innovative way to put her love of music to use by helping war
veterans get back on their feet through a new program at FGCU
called Musical Therapy. Simply put, musical therapy is a way to
create activities for those with disabilities through the beats of
a song.
For instance, Heather says that one way this process is used is
by having someone with a walking disability walk to the beat of the
music that gradually speeds up to improve their strength. Heather
first heard of this practice through her high school vocal teacher
who mentioned that this process was also used to help those with
speech impediments overcome their difficulties through singing.
She became aware of FGCUs involvement with this field while
taking Recital Attendance, a mandatory class for all music majors,
and was immediately interested.
The aspect that I am most interested is helping people overcome
difficulties with speech through music and singing, says Borrelli.
As someone who has been surrounded by music her entire life,
whether it be chorus or piano, Heather is looking forward to the
opportunity to use this love of music as a way to help those with
disabilities overcome challenges.
-Olivia Sanders
Share your stories and photos!Interested in writing or taking
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interesting story that deserves to be told? Contact us at
[email protected]. The Eagles Nest is looking for students
interested in design, photography, writing and social media!
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Honors students also won regional and national prizes. Shane
Nieves was awarded a National Science Foundation Research
Experience for Undergraduates in Integrative Biology of Social
Behaviors at the University of Michigan. Lori Boegershausen won the
Phi Alpha Theta Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Paper at the
Phi Alpha Theta Florida Regional Conference.
Multiple Honors students published articles in peer-reviewed
journals: Julia Reed-Betts in The Journal of Analytic Chemistry;
Daniel Franco in The Journal of Power Sources; Maddie Heath and
Lucy Leban in Aquila: The FGCU Journal of Undergraduate Research,
and Christie Mauretour in Discrete Applied Mathematics.
Honors students showed themselves to be engaged global citizens
and studied abroad in Sweden, Scotland, Costa Rica, France,
Germany, Austria, England and Croatia.
Graduating students have been accepted into MA and PhD programs
at Harvard University, the University of Oxford, the University of
Chicago, the University of Aberdeen, Georgetown University, Cornell
University, the University of Florida, Florida State University and
the University of South Florida. Students entering the workforce
are taking up careers in local non-profit organizations, major
engineering firms, and the United States Army. I couldnt be more
proud of them and am looking forward to hearing about their future
accomplishments as FGCU Honors Alumni.
It has been a true honor to work with you all this year, and
congratulations on your outstanding accomplishments.
Dr. Nicola Foote Intertim Honors Director
Blog: blogs.fgcu.edu/honors
A Look Back at Spring 2015Continued from Page 1