Weekly (sort of) Newsletter

Nationally Renowned Horror Authors Visiting ACC: 9/3

NYT bestselling Horror authors Stephen Graham Jones and Paul Tremblay will be talking with ACC students on Wednesday afternoon from 4-5 pm. Hosted by ACC's Creative Writing Program via Zoom, this is an unprecedented opportunity to learn more about their craft, hear what they're working on, and engage with them directly through Q&A.  

_______________

Meet the New Ambassador Team!

We have a new ambassador team for the 2025-2026 school year, and they're eager to get to know you. You'll be seeing them around the campuses, but feel free to reach out to them individually via email. 

We'd also like to bid a fond farewell to our ambassador coordinator Samy Ráez (pictured right). Samy joined the ACC Honors Program and took her first Honors course in Fall 2017; the following semester she became one of the first ambassadors, quickly assuming the lead position. After transferring to UT, where she double majored in Geography and Sustainability Studies, Samy continued working with the ambassadors--even as she graduated and entered the Master of Public Affairs program at the UT LBJ School of Public Affairs. While at LBJ, Samy lobbied the administration there to provide opportunities for ACC Honors students to explore careers in public service: education, city and state government, non-profits, courts systems, etc.  To date, we've sent 11 students to LBJ's Public Policy and International Affairs Public Service Weekend--the only community college students to ever attend this all-expenses-paid conference--and last November we co-hosted the very first Policy Immersion Day at the LBJ School for 23 Honors students. None of this would have been possible without Samy's tireless advocacy on behalf of our students, and we are incredibly grateful for her efforts. Luckily for us, she isn't going too far away: she has accepted a full-time position with UT's Student Outreach and Support Office! 

Samy's successor, Kelda Harrison, started in the Honors Program last year and is now an Economics major at UT. Pictured below on the top row of ambassadors (far right), you can reach her at kelda.harrison@austincc.edu.

_______________

Bat Chats x Honors Program (Get a Leadership Credit)

After Zoila Walston's successful Bat Chat in Spring 2025, Student Life has once again invited eligible Honors students (must have taken or be enrolled in one Honors class) to create an Honors edition of Bat Chats. These are a lot like TED Talks, and students who participate will fulfill the leadership requirement for the Honors Scholar tier. You can form a panel with other Honors students (perhaps specific to material from a particular Honors course you've taken), or else you can conduct a solo chat. Zoila's chat was titled "Ambition without Exhaustion: Balance vs. Rhythm," a discussion that both challenged the myth of "balance" and--drawing upon Zoila's experience as a musician--proposed a new way to think about achieving our ambitions through a consideration of rhythm.

Here is the link for the application, which is due September 28th.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Past Bat Chats Titles & Descriptions

• Sample Bat Chat Topics

• Honors Program Topics for the Application:

  • Topics on subject matters they are discussing in their Honors classes

  • Discussing why they became an Honors student and how it has impacted their ACC career

  • Panel of Honors Program students discussing the program 

• BATCHATxHonors Program will be held on Thursday, November 13th at the Highland Campus Make-it-Center. Once the host is selected, they will pick a two hour timeframe between 12-4pm to hold their presentation.

When completing the form, make sure to select the “Honors Program” option to ensure your application is associated with our program.

_________________

Astronomy Club Welcome Event at Mount Bonnell: 9/6

Honors Mechanical Engineering major and ACC Astronomy Club President Angel Sanchez is promoting a welcome event and issuing a call for officers: 

This Saturday, September 6th, the ACC Astronomy Club is hosting our welcome event. We’ll gather at Mount Bonnell, one of the most beautiful spots in Austin, to watch the sunset and study the surface of the Moon. Here are the details:  

 SUNSET AT MOUNT BONNELL – Next Saturday

Come enjoy one of Austin’s best views with us at Mount Bonnell! (attached an image)

When: Next Saturday, September 6th, 7–9 PM

Where: Mount Bonnell, Austin, TX 78731

Meeting Spot: Go up the flight of stairs near the Mount Bonnell sign in the parking area, and we'll be at the top.

 What’s happening:

• Talks on the colors of the sunset and the surface of the moon, followed by trivia!

• Telescope viewing of the Moon!

• Free pizza! New members welcome.

Be mindful not to leave any personal belongings in your car, since the parking area isn't under surveillance.

Join the ACC Astronomy Club Discord server to learn more: Discord

_________________

New Student Org Looking for Officers

Angel Sanchez has also founded a new student organization and is issuing a call for officers: 

LOOKING FOR OFFICERS -- ACC Association of Young Leaders!
We just founded the ACC Association of Young Leaders. This new organization is designed to be the go-to place for students who want to succeed at ACC and beyond. Members will have opportunities to prepare and present speeches and debates, receive constructive feedback, mentor new students, and be mentored themselves.

Our Discord server serves as the perfect hub for students to find scholarships, internships, and other resources, as well as a space to coordinate volunteering and service projects.

The goal is to build well-rounded leaders, recognizing that leadership is inseparably tied to service and that great leaders are often great speakers.

We’re looking for officers! No previous experience is required—just a willingness to learn and do. The officer application form can be found in our Discord server, or you can email me directly at angel.sanchez6@g.austincc.edu for more information

_________________

Fall Transfer Week, September 15-19

ACC’s Fall Transfer Week is taking place September 15–19.

What is Transfer Week?

• Transfer Week includes events hosted by ACC’s Transfer Services team in partnership with several four-year universities designed to help students explore their future, understand transfer options, and prepare for their future transfer.

• Sessions include both in-person and virtual events, university info sessions and recruitment visits, and highlights other ACC events that help students continue on their academic journey and meet their transfer goals.

_________________

ACCTV Casting Call: 9/23 & 9/24

Executive Producer Carrye Glazer of ACCTV is looking for talent, and she is inviting *Honors students to participate in a casting call: 

I wanted to make sure you knew about ACC’s Casting Call that will be happening at the Highland Campus in a couple of weeks.   We would love your help spreading the word with your amazing students!  

We are looking for students to shine on ACCTV programs, in commercials, social media features, testimonials, or even suit up with the ACC Mascot Team.  All opportunities will be paid.
 

Dates: September 23 and 24

Times: 9-4 PM

Location: ACCTV Studio in Highland Building 4000 (above the bookstore)

Get all the details: austincc.edu/talent

*Of course, from my point of view, having Honors students in the mix can only reflect well on the program. So really it's your duty to participate. 😁

_________________

Ready to Become an Honors Scholar?

While taking an Honors class can certainly enhance your transfer applications, becoming an Honors Scholar--a student who takes at least three honors courses, maintains a 3.5 GPA, and engages in select leadership and service activities--can set you apart from your peers in ways that admissions committees find appealing. Becoming an Honors Scholar, for example, will grant you automatic admission to the UT Dallas Hobson Wildenthal Honors College. (We should have that transfer agreement finalized by the end of the fall semester.) 

Honors Scholars receive recognition on their transcripts, a digital badge, and honor stoles for graduation ceremonies. Students who are on track to fulfill the requirements are eligible to apply for the Honors Program scholarship--it is not necessary to have completed all of them to apply. See details below. (If you are applying for the scholarship, please first register your intention to become an Honors Scholar at honors@austincc.edu.) For an explanation of the kinds of leadership and service activities required, visit the Honors Scholar page. 

_________________

Honors Program Scholarship Is Open: Deadline 11/1

The ACC Honors Program Scholarship is open, and applications are due by November 1st. This scholarship is awarded in the spring only, and we will award at least 5 scholarships of $1000 each. 

In order to be eligible for the scholarship, you must 1) have taken or be currently taking at least one Honors course, 2) declared your intention to become an Honors Scholar with honors@austincc.edu (just email us and say you'd like to become one), and 3) have at least a 3.5 GPA. That does not mean that you must have fulfilled all of the Honors Scholar requirements at the time of application; you just need to be heading in that direction. (The idea is that the scholarship money can help you to complete your remaining requirements by paying for additional courses.) Students who have already received a $2500 ACC Foundation Open Scholarship for 2025-2026 are not eligible to apply, unfortunately.

What is the purpose of the Honors Scholar tier? We wanted to provide students with an "Honors portfolio," of sorts, which will make them even more competitive transfer/job applicants. Right now, everyone who takes an Honors course has that course designated as Honors on their transcript, but if you become an Honors Scholar, you'll receive what is known as an endorsement on your transcript (basically a fancy stamp that signifies completion of a special initiative/program of study). You will also receive a digital badge that you can use for LinkedIn, transfer applications, etc. The endorsement demonstrates a level of rigor and involvement that university admissions committees tend to find very attractive--especially when paired with an application essay that highlights your leadership and service activities as an Honors Scholar. Also, admissions offices are familiar with this kind of tier; Honors Scholars are common at many community colleges and universities.

Here is where you'll go to fill out the general application--make sure you check the box that asks if you are in the Honors Program--and here is the scholarship itself. You will not be competing with the entire ACC population; you'll be competing with Honors students who have registered their intention to become Honors Scholars only. (That's a relatively small pool! Seriously, we only had 18 eligible applicants last year!) The applications will be reviewed by a committee composed of Honors faculty and the HSO advisor. To register your intention to become an Honors Scholar, please contact honors@austincc.edu. You'll receive instructions about how to proceed.

_________________

NEW Honors Courses in Spring '26

• ARTS 1403, Art History I, "Loot! Stolen Masterpieces in Ancient Art History" (Kristina Elizondo, HLC/Hybrid) 

• SAPN 1412, Spanish II: "Ritmos del Caribe: The Music, Slang and Culture of the Caribbean" (Marcel Pons Ventura, HLC)

• BIOL 1406, Cellular & Molecular Biology: "SEA-PHAGES Genome Annotation" (Kisaaou Tchedre, EVC)

We also have plans to add A&P II (BIOL 2402) at EVC and RRC. This schedule is not yet finalized because it does not include all of the additions, but it's helpful nonetheless.

_______________

Are You in NCAS or NASA L'SPACE?

If you recently finished a summer mission through NCAS or NASA L'SPACE or you were accepted for the fall, please send me your summer completion paperwork (attachment/screenshot) or fall acceptance materials and we'll get you added to the student spotlights. 

ACC alum Julie Strickland, who designs space suits for NASA, will be attending the ACC Alumni Achievement Awards on September 11th and will be available to meet with Honors Program students, likely on the 12th! I'll provide details as I have them, but in the meantime, here is a short video about Julie. 

_______________