Westfield State University Welcomes Honors Students with Civic Engagement-Focused Orientation Weekend

Dr. Hillary Sackett-Taylor, Associate Professor of Economics, Co-Chair of the University’s Campus Pride Committee, and Director of the Commonwealth Honors Program, recently detailed the two-day welcome orientation held for new and returning honors students at Westfield State University. The event, held from on August 30 and August 31, brought together first-year students, transfers, and returning honors students, marking the start of an academic year focused on civic engagement and community connections.

The weekend began on Friday, August 30, with residential students moving in early into all dorms, including those living in the Honors Living and Learning Community on the 5th floor of University Hall before meeting honors student leaders. The leadership team, composed of eight peer mentors, three honors interns, and the Executive Board of the Student Honors Association Club, played a key role in welcoming students to campus. The student leaders aided in welcoming new and returning honors students to campus before the events of the two-day orientation kicked off.

Friday evening featured a series of community-building activities, beginning with an honors t-shirt design session that was followed by a welcome dinner. The dinner, themed around civic engagement and community connections, featured speeches from Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe, Kathi Bradford, Director of Westfield on Weekends Creative Art Center, and Dr. William Salka, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University. Each speaker emphasized the importance of civic engagement and encouraged students to explore leadership opportunities within the Honors Program and beyond. The evening concluded with an ice cream social and trivia night, as well as a reflective session where students wrote letters to their future selves.

Saturday’s activities began with a breakfast and more addresses from student leaders Daniel Currier, senior honors student and student representative on the Board of Trustees, and Mekhi Bowen, a LEADs Scholar and Honors Program peer academic counselor. They discussed the interplay between their roles on campus and the importance of civic engagement both as a student and outside the classroom. Following the breakfast, all students participated in community service projects at six local organizations, including Grandmother’s Garden, the Common Goods Food Pantry, Whip City Animal Sanctuary, the UCC Second Congregational Church, Girls on the Run of Western Massachusetts, and the Westfield Historic Preservation Project at their respective sites off campus.

Dr. Sackett-Taylor expressed her enthusiasm for the students’ involvement in these projects. “I was able to visit each of the sites and see them in action,” she said. “It was really great to just get them off campus and realize right away the impact they could have on the greater Westfield community as part of this program.”

After the service projects, Honors students gathered for a barbecue picnic at Stanley Park, where President Linda Thompson welcomed them and spoke about the value of Honors education and the role it plays in the University’s strategic planning. Victoria Connors, Managing Director of Stanley Park, also addressed the students, providing them with information on further community service opportunities in the park. The day ended with an interactive activity that focused on the Honors Program’s core values of academic excellence, community engagement and leadership, as well as equity and social justice.

“We engaged the students by asking them to think about what these things mean to them and the different ways they already embody these values,” Dr. Sackett-Taylor explained. “We also asked them to envision being able to incorporate these things into their scholarship here at Westfield State as Honors students because it’s really important for us to hear their voices and help them see that they’re part of this mission, and that they can help inform the way this program develops further.”

The orientation concluded with a presentation on the Honors Program Living and Learning Community and a tour of University Hall, led by Resident Director Mark Mankus. “We’re trying to provide an overall enhanced education experience that extends beyond the classroom,” Dr. Sackett-Taylor added. “Our tagline now is that ‘Honors students are learners, leaders, and change-makers. They’re the people who are motivated to get more out of their college experience, and they recognize that they have a lot of agency in co-creating the world they live in.”

Dr. Sackett-Taylor has already received several direct messages from students, who commented on the engaging and unique orientation experience laid out for them. The students also mentioned feeling comfortable and welcomed by both student leaders and staff, and are excited about the opportunities available to them. 

Reflecting on her own experience, Dr. Sackett-Taylor noted the strong bonds already beginning to form among the students. “It’s so heart-warming to see them make these connections because they all come from totally different lived experiences and diverse backgrounds. But the thing they have in common is this motivation, this drive to know that they could leave this world a better place. It’s a core value to them, and they’re going to form really meaningful friendships through it. You could already see it from this weekend.”

As for the Honors Program in its entirety, this orientation was the first step to a year that will undoubtedly be filled with new adventures, lessons, and shared experiences. Looking ahead, Dr. Sackett-Taylor is also excited about the journey the Honors Program students are embarking on. 

“The Honors Program is an offering and an invitation,” Dr. Sackett-Taylor said. “Every day, we are actively working to diversify our incoming student class and make the process more accessible and inclusive for everyone. What’s most important to me is that they show up as their authentic selves so that they can become the fullest, truest version of who they are and mirror that in how they walk through the world. We recognize the potential for leadership in every single one of them. It doesn’t matter what your high school grade-point average was or how introverted and extroverted they are. This is a completely fresh start and a brand new beginning.”