Weekly (sort of) Newsletter

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Summer Registration/Advising

The registration request form opened yesterday, 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. (If you can't get an appointment, she recommends emailing her.) 

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

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Bat Chats x Honors Program: 3/27, 2:00 pm

As you may know, Student Life asked us to partner with them to host an Honors-themed Bat Chat (sort of like a TED Talk, but with snacks). The coordinators reviewed a number of applications by Honors Program students and ultimately selected Zolia Walston, who will be presenting "Ambition without Exhaustion: Balance vs. Rhythm," a discussion that both challenges the myth of "balance" and--drawing upon Zolia's experience as a musician--proposes a new way to think about achieving our ambitions through a consideration of rhythm:

High-achieving students often struggle with burnout and perfectionism, constantly chasing success while trying to maintain balance. But what if balance isn’t the answer? This Bat Chat challenges the balance myth and introduces a rhythm-based approach to sustaining ambition without exhaustion. Learn how to break free from toxic hustle culture, manage perfectionism, and develop sustainable habits that support achievement and well-being so you can keep striving without sacrificing yourself.

**Now, I am a teeeeeny bit biased because Zolia was a student in my Honors class last semester, and I already know how fabulous she is--thoughtful, engaging, and utterly real--but I do think you'll genuinely enjoy this discussion because she designed it with the ACC Honors student in mind. (Also, if you're interested in presenting your own "Bat Chat X Honors Program" in order to satisfy the leadership requirement for the Honors Scholar tier, it'll be helpful to see one of these in action. Full disclosure: the Student Life coordinators select the candidates, not me or any Honors faculty or staff.) 

Come see us at the Make It Center on Thursday afternoon, or plan to join via Zoom! Register here. 

March 27th | 2:00-4:00pm | Highland Campus - Make it Center (Building 2000, Room 2429) 

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Great Questions Community Seminar, 3/27, 6:30 pm

Honors Government Professor Ted Hadzi-Antich will be hosting another Community Seminar this Thursday evening at ACC Highland campus and has provided details below:

On Thursday, March 27 from 6:30pm - 9pm, the Great Questions Community Seminar will focus on a sermon Dr. King delivered on or about November 17, 1957 to a congregation in Montgomery, Alabama. While the audience of this sermon is a Christian church, King’s words speak powerfully and truly to readers who profess other faiths or none at all. In our politically polarized and socially divided times, we may benefit from putting into practice the lessons King teaches in this sermon. Join us for a discussion of this powerful work! 

You can find the reading assignment and discussion questions here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U0kuJqZytjHCi4BTPCYkRTnldnr-h80OZKwzdsSWa1g/edit?usp=sharing This event will be meaningful if everybody does the reading. Please help us make it meaningful by reading the text selection before you attend.

While all are welcome to attend, this RSVP form is required. We need to get an accurate headcount for food, as well as to put you in small discussion groups. You'll also need to complete the short reading assignment from the text before coming, which is available at the above link.  

This event will be at HLC, but the exact location will be emailed to those who RSVP HERE (https://forms.gle/ZctnK96vUbBdeaVw7). So, please RSVP if you want to attend. 

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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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Info Session at HLC with the Columbia University General School, 3/31

Another Info Session? You can never have too many! Come learn about Columbia University’s School of General Studies for returning and non-traditional students (anyone who has interrupted their education for a year). Several ACC Honors students have attended this university, and the General School is committed to recruiting students from community colleges all over the country. The Columbia U representative will share details about their program, transfer scholarships, and more. Register here. You can also join via Zoom; register here. For questions, contact honors@austincc.edu. (No pizza for this one, alas.)

Monday, March 31st, 3:30 pm-4:30 pm, Highland Campus Welcome Center, Building 1000 (Room 2350)

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Honors Program Info Session: Join Us for Lunch! 4/4

Have you recently been accepted to the Honors Program? Or have you been a member for a while, but have been hesitant to participate? Then come join us next Friday, April 4th, at the HLC Welcome Center from 11:30 am-1:00 pm. Lunch will be provided, and the plan is to cover courses, scholarships, internships, specialized advising, transfer opportunities, and some of the leadership and service initiatives we've developed for Honors students (UT YCS Fellows Program, INRW peer tutoring, UT LBJ opportunities, etc.). Honors students will talk about their participation in some of these initiatives, and representatives from Transfer Resources will be present. Students who can't make it in person can join via Zoom; the in-person registration form is here. We'll also have some Honors swag on hand--if you're in an Honors course this semester and have not yet received your swag bag, we'll bring it to you. 

Friday, April 4th, 11:30 am-1:00 pm, Highland Campus Welcome Center, Building 1000 (HLC1 2350) 

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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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Green Career Fest: 4/19

Our friends from the Youth Forest Council would like to invite us to the second Green Career Fest. Please see details below by Honors Alum Lydian DiDonato:

I’d like to extend an invitation to you and your students to participate in the 2nd Annual Green Career Fest, hosted by the Emerging Green Leaders program. This event is designed to inspire and empower young adults (ages 16-24) to explore exciting career opportunities in the green industry and become environmental leaders.

Event Details:

• What: The Green Career Fest will feature hands-on workshops, environmental speaker sessions, a job fair with green industry employers, raffles, and more!

• When: Saturday, April 19th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

• Where: Permitting and Development, City of Austin, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr, Austin, TX 78752

This free event offers an excellent opportunity for students to learn about sustainable careers, network with industry professionals, and gain valuable career development experience. We’d love for your students to be part of this exciting event.

Job vendors at the event include organizations like the City of Austin Parks and Recreation, Youth Forest Council Internship, Austin Youth Riverwatch, American Youthworks, Davey Tree Company, YMCA Camp Moody, and many more.

Register here!

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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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