Weekly (sort of) Newsletter

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Join the Astronomy Club for the Full Lunar Eclipse: 3/13

From President Angel Sanchez: Join the ACC Astronomy Club for a memorable evening under the stars as we observe the Lunar Eclipse on March 13th. This event will feature telescope viewing of the eclipse, a discussion of lunar eclipse mythology from various cultures, and an opportunity for stargazing and socializing at St. Edwards Park-Greenbelt Trail. RSVP here. 

Activities:

• Lunar Eclipse Viewing: Watch the spectacular event with telescopes and binoculars, with club members available to explain the science behind it.

• Mythology Exploration: Learn about the myths and stories surrounding lunar eclipses from different cultures while relaxing outdoors.

• Stargazing and Socializing: Enjoy the night sky, ask astronomy-related questions, and hang out with fellow students.

Astronomy Club Contact Information:

Discord: https://discord.gg/sFYsgQDhJn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astronomyclubacc/

Email: astronomyclubacc@gmail.com

Student Life (to become a member): https://austincc.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/astronomyclub

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Honors Spotlight on Jonny Burke

Honors History major Jonny Burke is having an eventful spring! After winning the ACC Honors Program Scholarship, he was selected as a Bronze Scholar on Coca-Cola’s 2025 Academic Team and will receive a $1,000 scholarship. His selection was based on the score he earned in the All-USA Academic Team competition, and he will be recognized during the Parade of Scholars at PTK’s annual convention in April.

Jonny was also accepted to University of Pennsylvania's College of Liberal and Professional Studies, an online degree program at the 10th ranked university in the US. If he decides to attend (he has applied to other schools), his concentration will be Literature, Culture, and Tradition, which will provide excellent preparation for his ultimate goal: law school.  

A singer and songwriter who has toured and performed in every state in the continental U.S., Jonny has written songs that have been featured in major motion pictures, network TV, and streaming series. He brings these musical talents to his service work with Soldier Songs and Voices, a nonprofit organization that provides music therapy to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress. During the organization's week-long Reveille Songwriting Retreat in late March, Jonny will be co-writing songs with veterans and numerous other songwriters, and he will also be giving a workshop informed by his experiences in this semester's Honors Literature of War course, taught by Professor Joe O'Connell: "In my presentation, I’ll be engaging attendees in a reflective discussion about the themes of war using excerpts from Shakespeare’s Henry V, Katherine Anne Porter’s 'Pale Horse, Pale Rider' and Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried as a foundation, while drawing connections between literature and songwriting as a means of processing and expressing their experiences. We’ve studied two of these three pieces in the Hon Lit of War course, so I’ve had a wealth of inspiration to draw from."  

Congratulations to Jonny, our own Honors troubadour!

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Summer Registration/Advising

The registration request form will open on March 24th (you'll go to this page to fill it out), and college-wide registration for Summer ’25 starts on March 31st. ACC uses a staggered system based on the number of hours in progress/completed. On Friday, April 4th, all students are eligible to register, so that is when we will begin filling requests. Waiting until the 4th ensures that all requests will be honored, and students who have fewer hours than others will not be at a disadvantage if a particular class fills up quickly. After April 4th, we’ll resume our normal registration process.

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. 

Full course list (Check out our brand new Fall '25 Honors Biology courses!)

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Info Session/Lunch at HLC with the Honors College at the University of Texas-Dallas, 3/28

I mentioned in last week's newsletter that we are currently working on a transfer agreement with the University of Texas-Dallas Hobson Wildenthal Honors College. What this means is that ACC Honors students who have completed certain requirements will be granted automatic admission to the UTD Honors College, and they will also be eligible for generous transfer scholarships.

In anticipation of the upcoming transfer agreement, UTD Honors College representatives will visit ACC and share details about their program, transfer scholarships, and more. (These aren't run-of-the-mill college reps--they work in the Honors College.) This is your chance to ask questions, explore opportunities, and enjoy some free pizza. There are many things I did not know about UTD Honors College--such as the fact that they try to provide all students with at least one (paid) study abroad experience--so it should be a very illuminating discussion.   

We'll be hosting UTD on Friday, March 28th from noon-1:30 pm at the Highland Campus Welcome Center, Building 1000 (Room 2350), so please register here to attend in person. Attending remotely? (Zoom link is here.)

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The Red Bench Dialogue Event, 3/25

The Teaching and Learning Excellence Division's Office of Experiential Learning, in collaboration with Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT), invites you to The Red Bench Dialogue Event, an on-campus conversation event on the topic "Courage!" The event will take place at the Austin Community College (ACC) Rio Grande Campus (RGC) on Tuesday, March 25, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

ACC employees, students, employers, and the community are invited to attend this free in-person event. Dinner will be provided. Registration is required.

• Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2025

• Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

• Location: ACC Rio Grande Campus, Building 3000, Room 3340

• View the RGC Parking Map

• Who's Invited: ACC employees, students, and the community are invited to attend this free in-person event. Dinner is included.

• Topic: The Spring 2025 conversation topic is "Courage." ACC Director of the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center, Dr. Khayree Williams, will frame this issue for participants, who will then be invited to share their own experiences through empathetic and structured table conversations.

For the full details, visit the Red Bench Dialogue Event website.

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HSO Relay for Life Service Opportunity, 4/11

The Honors Student Organization is excited to announce our participation in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Fundraiser this year! Relay For Life is more than a walk – it’s a chance to come together in our local communities to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against every cancer! 

Just about everyone has had their lives affected by cancer, either personally, or through a family member, and the HSO Officers are no exception to this. Alyssa Walker, our Social Media Officer, has lost both of her biological grandmothers to different forms of cancer. Bryce Bakman, our President, while growing up lost both his biological grandfathers to two leading forms of cancer, colon and prostate, and spent high school with his mom battling breast cancer, becoming a survivor he’s proud to walk in celebration of.

Watching helplessly, as somebody you would do anything for goes through this terrible process, is a feeling no one should have to make sense of. This is our chance to do our part towards finding a solution and making a difference.

You can help our team contribute in the fight for an answer and eventually a cure to the health epidemic that is cutting short the lives of so many beautiful and special people. We humbly ask for your support in taking action against a health problem that seems to be affecting people at an even younger rate these days as well. Together as a community, we here at ACC, have the opportunity to join the fight against cancer and challenge anyone who can to get involved alongside us as a team or donate as a supporter to the cause.

How To Help:

• Join the Relay team and walk with us that night. 

  • It’s a TON of fun! 

  • See more! 

• Donate and help us reach our Fundraising Goal. 

  • You don't have to be a team member to seek donations - but team members get prizes from Relay if they earn certain levels of donations.

• Share Our Page With Your Friends and Family!

Every action, big or small, makes a tremendous contribution as we are all in this together and grateful for your support!

Questions? Email our HSO Advisor, Jana McCarthy, who has participated in multiple Relays over the last 15 years! jana.mccarthy@austincc.edu 

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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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Submit to the Hothouse Literary Journal (UT)

Hothouse Literary Journal, the official literary journal of UT's Department of English, is currently requesting submissions. Last year, Honors student Genevieve Kent Elbaor published a poem in the spring edition. From Editor-in-Chief Charlie Sharpe: 

Dear undergraduates,

We're happy to announce that the official literary journal of The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of English, Hothouse, is accepting submissions for the 2024-2025 print edition! We accept submissions from undergraduate students all over Texas. We are looking for fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.

Though we accept submissions on a rolling basis, you must submit your work by March 15th, 2025 to be considered for the print journal.

If you would like to review the full guidelines, including how to format your writing, you can find them on the Hothouse website, https://hothouselitjournal.com. 

If you have any questions about the submission process, feel free to contact us at uthothouse.editor@gmail.com.

We look forward to reviewing your submissions!

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(Paid) City of Austin Internship: Youth Forest Council

For the last couple of years, the City of Austin has been recruiting Honors students to serve as student interns, and they report that the interns from Honors are some of the most engaged and involved. Here are the details from coordinator Britney Huynh: 

Our program is open to young people in Austin between the ages of 16-20. Interns get the opportunity to do service projects that support our urban forest and build professional skills, while earning $21.63/hr. Applications are due March 15, 2025. We’d love to have more ACC students apply!

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Student Life Awards: Nominate Yourself or Another Student

Did you know that you can nominate yourselves or other students for these awards? Check it out:

Nominate an outstanding graduate for the Chancellor's Student Achievement Award by March 28 or nominate an impactful student leader for a Legacy of Leader: Student Leader Award (various categories) by March 23rd! Learn more below! 

The Chancellor’s Student Achievement Award s a highly regarded accolade bestowed upon a graduating student who exemplifies exceptional academic achievements, a strong commitment to ACC's values and vision, and outstanding service to the college and the broader community each fall & spring semester.

The award brings a $600 check, a letter of recommendation from our Chancellor, a commemorative plaque, and the honor of delivering student remarks at commencement. To be eligible, students must meet these criteria:

- Minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA

- Enrollment at ACC for a minimum of two consecutive semesters

- Graduating in Spring 2025

 (Student Life Staff will verify eligibility upon submission. Don’t worry about checking these yourself)

We encourage you to join us in honoring our exceptional graduating students by submitting nominations. All ACC community members, including faculty, staff, and students, can nominate deserving individuals. Students can even nominate themselves! You can access the nomination form here: Spring 2025 Chancellor Student Achievement Award Nomination Form.

Additional details and nomination guidelines can be found at austincc.edu/csaa or by contacting csaa@austincc.edu.

Each year, Student Life recognizes the excellence and efforts of student leaders and the faculty/staff that support student success within Student Life at Austin Community College. All nominees will be celebrated with a special invitation to the Student Life Legacy of Leaders event in April, where their achievements will be recognized, and the award winners will be announced.

We encourage you to join us in honoring our exceptional student leaders by submitting nominations. All ACC community members, including faculty, staff, and students, can nominate deserving individuals. Students can even nominate themselves! You can access the nomination form here: 2024-2025 Legacy of Leaders: Student Leader Awards Nomination Form

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