Limestone Honors Program Looking For Best, Brightest Students

Limestone’s revamped Honors Program will give the College’s best students a chance to take their higher education experience to the next level.

Under the direction of new Director Dr. Jonathan Sarnoff and the leadership committee, Limestone’s Honors Program is offering talented and motivated students the opportunity to reach greater heights through their experiences at the College.

The revamped program now provides students enhanced educational opportunities designed to challenge and enrich student learning. The mission of the Honors Program is to provide academically gifted students with a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum and an engaging learning community that equips them with the knowledge, creativity, and adaptability to thrive and lead.

Limestone’s Honors Program members will enter into a community of students, faculty and administrators committed to the shared ideals of academic excellence, leadership, intellectual curiosity, and mutual respect. They will be able to defend and critique ideas, recognize and demonstrate the value of service-learning, identify complex problems and evaluate solutions, analyze and interpret advanced primary and secondary texts, develop a research design and execute research independently or with faculty, and implement leadership principles in everyday life.

“One of the major aspects of the Honors Program is that we are service-oriented,” explained Sarnoff, who is a Professor of History. “Service learning is intricately entwined with the community. We want to show that Limestone College – and its Honors Program – is out there in the community and making a difference.

“Our President, Dr. Darrell Parker, is a big supporter of the Honors Program and he is committed to attracting the best and the brightest to Limestone, knowing they can take advantage of being in a small, liberal arts college atmosphere,” Sarnoff added.

Criteria used for selection in Limestone’s Honors Program includes SAT and ACT scores, rank in class, the nature of courses taken in high school, and grade-point average.

“The Honors Program gives students an opportunity to engage in high-impact practices,” noted Professor of Physical Education Dr. Felicia Cavallini, who is a member of the program’s committee. “They can take part in things such as community service, research with faculty, research presentations, internships, and more. It’s important that our Honors students have the chance to take part in real projects that involve solutions to real problems.”

Academically motivated students are invited to learn about the Honors Program, which offers academic rigor beyond the standard college experience. For more information about eligibility and requirements, visit the new Honors Program webpage at www.limestone.edu/honors-program.

“We are trying to get students ready to enter the workforce, be professional, and be better prepared for graduate school from day one,” noted committee member Megan Anderson, who is a Professor of English at Limestone. “Our Honors Program students are going to be ahead of the game when it comes to those things.”

The Honors Program promotes diverse, interdisciplinary learning and fosters a community of life-long learners to motivate, support and serve each other, the campus and the community. It is also a gateway to exciting career opportunities.

“We have a history at Limestone in terms of sending our Honors Program students on to medical school, dental school, and other professional programs in the Health Sciences,” said Professor of Biology Dr. Suzanne Lindley, who is one of the Program’s committee members. “It’s highly competitive to get into such programs, and our Honors Program gives them many advantages toward acceptance.”

Limestone’s Honors Program was established in the fall of 1983 by former Professor of History Dr. Tom Thomson in order to create a challenging academic environment for Day Campus gifted and special ability students.

In 2018, Limestone officials announced the creation of the “Dr. Tom” Honors Program Scholarship that was been established to recognize Thomson, who is now a Professor of History Emeritus at the College. Those interested in contributing to the “Dr. Tom” Scholarship are encouraged to visit www.limestone.edu/donate-now.