Weekly (sort of) Newsletter

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Summer and Fall Registration/Advising

**For Summer, we have added an identical section of SPCH 1311, HIST 1302 (DLS, MW 1:30-3:40 pm, 10 weeks), and PHIL 2306.   

Please use the registration request form to select your courses.

If you'd like some help planning your schedule, our dedicated Honors advisor Jana McCarthy (jana.mccarthy@austincc.edu) would love to talk with you. This is your opportunity to speak with an ACC Master Advising Specialist about your Honors course planning, transfer goals, and more. Feel free to set up an appointment here. (If you can't get an appointment, she recommends emailing her.) 

Registration for Fall 2025 courses is right around the corner. Officially, it begins on May 12th, but we'll open up the request form on May 5th. Here are the courses available for the Fall. 

Full course list 

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AMIGOS Book Swap--Donations Needed

AMIGOS could really use our help for their upcoming Book Swap next week:

This project started as a class requirement for volunteer hours and evolved into an initiative to promote literature and sustainability among our students, faculty, and staff. On April 28th and 30th, join AMIGOS at the bottom of the Social Staircase to pick up a free book or drop off donations! You do not need to contribute a book to participate, we aim to find every book a new home.

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HSO Meeting with Honors Professors, 4/24

Hi HSO Members!

We’re approaching the finish line, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the amazing year we’ve had, thanks to all of you!

As we wrap up the semester, I want to invite you to our final member meeting of the year--one I’ve been looking forward to all semester! With summer and fall registration right around the corner, we thought this would be the perfect time to invite our Honors professors to join us.

This is a great chance to connect with the professors, learn more about their courses, and maybe even decide whose class you want to take next! Even if you’re not currently in the Honors Program, this meeting is still super valuable. You’ll get to meet some of the professors and get a feel for what the program is like if you’re thinking about joining.

So come hang out, enjoy some snacks and drinks, and help us close out the semester with great vibes and new connections!

Event Details:
Presentation Hall, Highland Campus
Thursday, April 24th
6:00–7:30 PM

Hope to see you there,
Parker Garcia
HSO Vice President
Honors Ambassador

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Paid Research Opportunity for SBS and Education Majors: Deadline 8/31

Texas State University has received funding from the National Science Foundation to provide paid opportunities for students to participate in undergraduate research in Human Development and Family Sciences (OUR HDFS). From Texas State: 

We are now recruiting students for the 2025-2026 academic year, with applications due August 31st. The OUR HDFS fellowship will provide visiting students a financial stipend ($5,625 plus meals and travel reimbursement) as well as support and guidance for engaging in research and learning about graduate school. Eligible students should be majoring in HDFS or related fields (e.g., psychology, education, sociology), can travel to Texas State University campus on Fridays throughout the academic year, and have a GPA of 3.0 or above. More information about the program can be found on the OUR HDFS Website.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, we had five Honors Program students participate in this program: Psychology majors Coral Brundige, Isabel Castillo-Rosatti, Renita Edward, Malka Negret, and Morgan Gaither. ACC profiled Morgan in a news item.  

If you apply for this position and are accepted, please let me know: athomas2@austincc.edu 

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Admissions Season--Let Us Know!

Have you recently been accepted to a university? Transfer Services would like to know, so please help them out by filling out this form. (You will also receive an invitation to a transfer achievement dinner.)

It's never too early to start thinking about our next Competitive University Transfer Panel that Honors co-hosts with Transfer Services. This February's panel featured students from Yale, Brown, Rutgers, and UT. If you've been accepted to a competitive university, by all means let me know! (I see you, UT hopefuls--I understand that you may not hear anything until June.)

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National Collegiate Honors Council Transfer Fair, 4/25

ACC is an institutional member of the National Collegiate Honors Council, which is holding its first virtual transfer fair to help connect students with four-year institutions across the US. Students can participate in live Q&A sessions with university honors representatives and a Virtual Expo showcasing transfer pathways, scholarships, and academic opportunities.

Register here by April 23rd. 

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UFCU Workshop on Investing (designed just for you!), 4/28

Remember when I sent out a survey asking about the kinds of financial advice/planning workshops you'd like to see from UFCU? It turns out that a lot of you are actually interested in investing. So UFCU is answering the charge! 

Join us for a special workshop on investments, led by Richey Rogers from UFCU’s Investment Services team. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to expand your financial knowledge, this is a great opportunity to learn what’s possible, get your questions answered, and take the next step toward your financial goals. Refreshments provided.

Register here for both in-person and online options.

Monday, April 28th, 4:30 pm-5:30 pm, Highland Campus Welcome Center, Building 1000 (HLC1 2350) 

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SGA Elections, 4/28-5/2

Interested in ACC's Student Government Association? It's a busy season for the student organization: elections! See details about elections and an upcoming debate on April 30th.  

Election Dates: April 28th - May 2nd 

How to Vote: Students can cast their votes through the official SGA voting portal: https://voting.apps.austincc.edu/vote

Candidate Debates:  Join us on April 30 from 3:00–6:00 PM at the HLC Presentation Hall for a fun and engaging Presidential & Vice Presidential debate, plus quick introductions from our Senatorial candidates.

• Learn about SGA & what it does

• Ask your burning questions

• Enjoy free snacks & good conversations

The Student Government Association (SGA) is the official voice of ACC students, advocating for your needs, planning events, and working to improve campus life. This debate is your chance to hear directly from the candidates who want to represent you—what they stand for, their goals, and how they plan to make a difference.

This is your student government—come meet the people who want to lead it! Bring your friends, grab some snacks, and make your voice heard! 

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L'SPACE Applications Open: Summer '25

ACC Honors alum Theodore Courtois is now Program Coordinator for the NASA L'SPACE Program at Arizona State University, and he wanted to make sure that you all knew about the next opportunity for this wonderful program. See his message below:

Applications for the NASA L'SPACE Program Summer 2025 academy opportunities have now opened! The program received a record number of applications for the Spring semester and after opening applications yesterday, we have already received over 200 applications for the Summer programs. This means it is important that any students interested in participating for the Summer 2025 semester submit their application as early as possible for consideration - don't wait until the deadline! Both of these 15-week academies are fantastic opportunities for Honors Program students interested in a future in the space industry. The academies are open to students from all majors as they are placed in interdisciplinary teams for the duration of the program. Students should expect to spend 6-10 hours per week participating in program activities and completing related work.

Mission Concept Academy (MCA):

Participants in the Mission Concept Academy will learn space mission development skills by developing a preliminary mission concept that follows the NASA mission life cycle. Students will have the opportunity to learn from NASA and industry professionals while developing a foundation in mission design, technical writing, and NASA review procedures. By the end of the academy, students will have developed a complete Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for their mission concept that can be used to showcase technical skills in internship and job interviews.

NASA Proposal Writing & Evaluation Academy (NPWEE):

Participants in the NASA Proposal Writing & Evaluation Academy will work in a team to develop innovative solutions to NASA pain points. Students will learn how to formulate a new technology proposal while competing for $10,000 in funding to develop their team's proposed idea. Previous winning NPWEE teams have gone on to secure additional NASA funding of up to $200,000 and several winning proposals are being considered for inclusion on upcoming space missions. Let this inspire, not intimidate - multiple ACC students have worked with winning NPWEE teams!

I hope that Honors Program students at Austin Community College will continue to take advantage of these free NASA workforce development programs - Riverbats belong in aerospace! My participation in these programs has been instrumental in my understanding of the complex challenges of the space industry and the knowledge and skills that I gained from these academies and my continued involvement with the NASA L'SPACE Program have been an incredible catalyst to my space industry career. If students have any questions related to these academies, they are always welcome to reach out to me directly via email at tcourtoi@asu.edu.

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Call for Submissions: A Collaborative Culture

A Collaborative Culture magazine seeks submissions from students, faculty, staff, and community members on the theme of Community: Past, Present, & Future.

What does the future look like to you? What have you learned from your past that you can implement in your present to build toward the future you want?

Find details and the submission form at https://sites.austincc.edu/acollaborativeculture/submission-form/

Link to Call for Submissions Flyer

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