Weekly (sort of) Newsletter

ACC Honors Students at UT's LBJ School

On Friday, November 1st, 23 ACC Honors students attended a unique policy immersion event designed for them by the UT LBJ School of Public Affairs. Students learned about policy communications, interacted with LBJ faculty and a panel of graduate students, participated in a simulation on the Suez Canal Crisis of 1956, and toured the LBJ School and Library. This was the first event of its kind, and we're grateful for the assistance of Honors ambassador coordinator Samy Ráez in helping to provide the bridge from ACC to LBJ. We look forward to more collaborations! 

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Leadership and Service Opportunities with the Center for Govt. & Civic Service

The Honors Program is teaming up with ACC's (new!) Center for Government and Civic Service at the Rio Grande Campus. They'll be running their first civic leadership simulation on November 22nd, during which students will have the opportunity to respond to a city-wide health crisis by inhabiting a wide variety of roles (mayor, health officials, conspiracy theorists, etc). Participation in three of these simulations will satisfy the Honors Scholar leadership requirement. Another leadership opportunity--the Open Government Partnership with the city of Austin--is described below, as well as two separate service activities. Check it out and get involved!   

UT YCS Fellows Application Open

We are thrilled to announce the fifth year of our partnership with UT Austin's Youth and Community Studies. One of the major goals of the ACC Honors Program is to offer our students civic leadership training that will enhance both their transfer opportunities and their resumés. Thus we have partnered with UT’s College of Education, whose faculty and staff have designed two academic and experiential learning opportunities for a maximum of 40 ACC Honors students. All Honors students who have taken/are taking a minimum of one Honors course (or are registered for Honors courses in Spring 2025) are eligible. All majors are welcome to apply. Completion of the program fulfills the leadership requirement of the Honors Scholar tier, and all participants receive individualized transfer advising from UT advisors. 

We can take a maximum of 40 applicants, so apply to become a YCS Fellow today. The deadline for applications is November 11th (11:59 pm). Honors Program staff will verify your eligibility. Students will receive notification of acceptance by November 18th. 

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Info Session Recording

Are you devastated about missing the Honors Info Session? We can't make it up to you with a fancy Honors mug, but you're welcome to view the recording. 

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UT Chemical Research Seminar: 11/6

Connecting Research and Education at Texas (CREATE) is the ACC Honors Chemistry collaboration with UT Austin. They'll be hosting their first fall seminar this Wednesday evening (11/6) at the Highland campus. Dr. Jean Anne Incorvia will be discussing the development of nanodevices using emerging physics and materials. Get more details here.

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Upcoming Book Swap at HLC: Amigos

Honors student and Amigos rep Elodia Escarcega is collecting book donations for an upcoming book swap! 

The Book Swap Project is designed to promote sustainability on both sides. By donating books, you declutter your space, welcome new things, and give your books a second chance to be appreciated! 

The collected donations are given away on November 7th at the Social Staircase on the HLC campus. Volunteers will be at the stand from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Students can drop off or take books without prior commitment or cost. For donation inquiries, please contact elodia.escarcega@g.austincc.edu before Nov. 7th 

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November HSO events

Not a member yet? Contact the HSO here!

HSO to the 50th Texas Renaissance Festival

Saturday, November 9th - 9am - 8pm

RSVP here!

HSO Membership Meeting

Friday, November 15th - 2pm - 3pm: Virtual

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Made with Care: New Student Org

Made with Care is a highly-spirited, student-led organization at ACC. We are dedicated to empowering students and creating a positive impact in our Austin community. While MWC focuses on providing pre-med and transfer students seeking hands-on experience in their related fields, we welcome all students passionate about connection, growth, and service!

MWC has a wide range of volunteer opportunities, from medical and non-medical roles to other fun activities where we raise money for charities doing things like karaoke and crochet. We also aim to foster a close-knitted community where we create a supportive environment for everyone involved and help each other thrive towards future success.

Join us by clicking this link (MWC SL) and signing up to our discord to receive all future information!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at galia.garciamartinez@g.austincc.edu

With Care, VP Gal Garcia

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Spring '25 Honors Registration and new Service-Learning Class

Are you hoping to fulfill the Honors Scholar requirements and need a service opportunity? Professor Louisa Spaventa's "Queer Writings" ENGL 1302 (Composition II) course will be a designated service-learning class in the spring. Students will collaborate with Talk About It Texas.

You can see all of the Spring '25 Honors courses on the college's course schedule page. Registration is now open; Please fill out the registration request form to ensure your spot in the courses offered. Remember, only Honors Program staff can register you due to the restricted nature of these courses. If you need some guidance about what courses to take, our Honors advisor Jana McCarthy can help you out: jana.mccarthy@austincc.edu.   

For general questions about registration, please contact honors@austincc.edu. Our support staff members Professor Melissa Foote and Professor Marcel Pons Ventura are eager to help.

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Swarthmore University ("Little Ivy") Interest Form

Did you know that Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania is known as a "Little Ivy"? it's also listed as the #3 Liberal Arts College in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, it's one of the nation's most diverse colleges, and the administration is committed to meeting 100% of determined financial need through loan-free financial aid awards. Alumni include Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, astronaut Sally Ride, and novelist Jonathan Franzen.

Vice President and Dean of Admissions Jim Bock–who happens to be a McCallum High School graduate–would like to meet virtually with ACC Honors Program students who are interested in attending Swarthmore and have questions about transfer and aid. If that's you, please fill out this brief form, and we will find a day/time when most of you can meet.  

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Transportation Survey: We Need Your Input

CapMetro is asking for feedback on their current transit lines as they prepare to plan for upcoming route changes based on interest, usage, and need. They would like ACC students’ voices to be heard in this process.  Remember that your input directly affects how well CapMetro can meet your travel needs. Go here to get started!

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Stephanie Land Reading and Q&A, Nov 7

The ACC Creative Writing Department is hosting Stephanie Land, author of Maid and Class, who will be reading from her work and answering questions. This is (possibly!) a once-In-a-lifetime chance for students to get to meet and interact with a well-known author.

Thursday, November 7th, 2:30-4:30pm

HLC, Building 2000, Room 2.1550 (Presentation Hall)

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Ivy League Info Sessions: U Penn & Columbia U General School

Interested in attending an Ivy League school without having to relocate? The University of Pennsylvania is offering a fully online Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science degree. Register for a virtual transfer session here. Dates for the sessions are 11/12, noon, EST or 12/3 6:00 pm EST

 Students interested in exploring further can:

Review the Penn LPS online website

Request a preliminary transfer credit evaluation

Attend a live detailed virtual info session where they can ask questions or just listen

Watch a recorded general virtual session

Request more information

Schedule an appointment to talk with our admissions team (lpsonline@sas.upenn.edu)

Columbia University General School 

A number of ACC Honors students have transferred to the General School, including Marc Stoyer, Matthew Wilds, and Maggie Charbonnet. If you're interested in the possibilities, plan to attend one of their upcoming online information sessions:

GS Undergraduate Online Information Session

Wednesday, November 13, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

GS Undergraduate Online Information Session

Wednesday, December 11, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Friday Forum: Academic Interest - Humanities and the Arts

Friday, December 13, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

As always, if you apply and are accepted, let me know! We will co-host a transfer panel event with Trasfer Resources in February featuring Honors students who have transferred to highly competitive universities: UT's Journalism Program, Columbia University, and Brown University. 

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Upcoming Programs with Texas Law Pipeline Program

Interested in Law School? Check out UT Law School's upcoming programs:

Demystifying the Law School Admission Process:  A Conversation with UCLA, Cornell, GW and Texas Law

November 8

6:00 PM

Vinson & Elkins LLP in Houston, TX

Law School Planning Day

November 22

11:00 AM

Texas Law

All details and registration for each event can be found at: https://law.utexas.edu/pipeline-program/pre-law-events/

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NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) Deadline: 11/25

We've had many Honors students join NCAS, and we'd like to see you take advantage of this one-of-a-kind opportunity, too. (You don't even have to be a STEM major to participate, as NASA needs folks from a variety of disciplines.) Check out the details here and attend one of the info sessions listed below. If you complete any of the missions, let me know. 

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NASA L'SPACE Program Applications Open for Spring 2025

Folks, these opportunities come to us courtesy of Honors Program alum Theo Courtois and Program Coordinator at the NASA L'SPACE Program at ASU. Let us know if you apply and are accepted!

I wanted to reach out to let you know that the applications for the NASA L'SPACE Program academies have opened for the Spring 2025 semester! Applications for the programs are reviewed on a rolling basis, so interested students should apply as soon as possible. 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.

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.

I hope that Honors Program students at Austin Community College will continue to take advantage of these free NASA workforce development programs. My participation in these programs has been instrumental in my understanding of the complex challenges of the space industry. 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 questions related to these academies, please let them know that they are welcome to reach out to me directly via email: tcourtoi@asu.edu.

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The Mellon Humanities Collaboratory: Fully Funded Summer Research Opportunity

Interested in escaping Texas during the summer and doing research in the Humanities? See details below! In 2023, we sent two ACC Honors students to Baltimore: Adelaide Rouech-Beard (Art History & Sociology) and Zek McCormick (Philosophy & Computer Science). We'd love to send more students this year. If you apply and are accepted, definitely let me know! Also, I have a couple of sample proposals, so touch base with me if you're interested: athomas2@austincc.edu. 

I’m writing to invite Austin Community College students to apply to a fully funded summer research program hosted by Johns Hopkins University. The Mellon Humanities Collaboratory provides emerging humanities scholars currently enrolled in community college with a generous summer stipend of $6,000 for ten weeks of full-time mentored research. On top of the stipend, travel to and from Baltimore and housing at our beautiful campus are included in the award at no cost to the student. The program will be held on the Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus in Baltimore, Maryland, from May 27 through August 2, 2025.

With support and mentorship from Johns Hopkins faculty and research staff, Humanities Collaboratory participants design their own research projects in any area of the humanities. Using a student-centered, peer-modeling approach, the Collaboratory invites students to work together constructively while pursuing their individual projects. This highly successful model develops undergraduates as subject matter experts and prepares them for further study in the humanities at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Our website has more information, including videos produced by previous years’ participants detailing the impact of the program.

Applications for the 2024 program are open now through December 2, 2024. Due to restrictions on the Mellon funding, the program is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents only. The only other eligibility requirements are current enrollment in a community college and an interest in humanities research. The online application can be found here.

We are hosting a series of virtual info sessions over the coming weeks. Please share the following links with your students and encourage them to register for a session:

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Calling Fall 2024 Graduates: The College Wants to Spotlight You

ACC Communications plans to highlight a series of students who will be graduating in December, and they would specifically like to write stories about students who have taken/are taking Honors courses and are also involved in Honors Program or other college activities (Think YCS Fellows, peer tutoring, HSO, SGA, PTK, etc.). Or, hey, maybe you're an Honors Scholar. If you're graduating and any of these descriptions fit, please reach out to me: athomas2@austincc.edu

From Communications: We would love the share their stories and help promote programs throughout the semester, especially leading up to the ceremony. Students will have multiple opportunities throughout the semester, including video, photography, writing, social media, and more. We will work directly with students to determine what is best for them.

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