The Summer Honors staff and students break for a group photo
photo by Breanna Tucker
Summer Honor participants on their whitewater rafting trip on the Ocoee
photo by Breanna Tucker
Summer Honors students serving at Tri-State Therapeutic Riding Center during the Chattanooga/Cleveland Charity Horse Show. From left, Kailey Murray, Delaney Hutchinson, Audrey Young, Amelia Wilson and Carson Tucker.
photo by Breanna Tucker
Lee University concluded its 31st annual two-week Summer Honors residential program with triumph.
This year’s Summer Honors drew 200 students from 22 different states to Lee’s campus, a record-setting turnout in attendance.
One of the many opportunities the incoming freshman and rising seniors had during Summer Honors was to earn six hours of academic credit in order to get a head start on their college careers. Each student was able to take two of the 14 classes offered in order to introduce and prepare them for a university-style classroom, such as “Called to Business Excellence,” “Taking Sides: Psychological Issues,” “The Film Experience: Understanding Cultural Language through the Cinema,” “Finding your Leadership Voice,” “Ignite Education: An Innovated Approach to Teaching and Learning,” and “Missional Living: Discovering a Pathway to Destiny,” among others.
Summer Honors is not just limited to the classroom, but students are also exposed to other activities such as whitewater rafting, an Atlanta Braves game, a night out in Chattanooga, a formal dinner hosted at The Museum Center at 5ive Points, a trip to Chattanooga’s Riverbend 2016 to see the band For King and Country, Greek Olympics, a movie night to watch “Finding Dory,” and much more, all to encourage participants to grow, laugh and connect with one another.
“In two weeks I made countless friends, had the time of my life, tried things I would have never expected, and grew closer to God,” said Leah Falstad, incoming freshman from Kimberly, Wi. “In just two short weeks, I made memories that will last a lifetime.”
The spiritual theme this summer was “Roll Away Your Stone,” where students focused on the passage of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and asking his community to be involved in bringing him back to life. According to Dr. Mike Hayes, vice president for Student Development, this theme was created to help reveal to the students their calling of becoming “fully alive” and to help others do the same.
Service is another aspect of spiritual growth outside of devotionals and small groups that Summer Honors focuses on. Within the two-week experience, students dedicated one Saturday to different service projects all around Cleveland, serving organizations such as Tri-State Therapeutic Riding Center, Habitat Restore, YMCA Community Action Program (Y-Cap), The Boys and Girls Club, Cross Pointe Church of God, Cleveland Emergency Shelter, Life Bridges, Family Promise, Peerless Road Church, The Caring Place, and Lee’s Crossover Ministries, a program that provides groceries and fellowship to East Cleveland residents in need.
“Working with 200 gifted students in Summer Honors is a professional and personal privilege,” said Dr. Hayes. “Even though the program lasts only two weeks, it’s apparent that these students are impacted academically, spiritually, and relationally. One of our objectives is to enhance their sense of self-efficacy in terms of being successful in college when they do eventually attend full time. I eagerly anticipate seeing all of the incoming freshmen at Lee in the fall.”
For more information about Lee’s Summer Honors program, please visit http://leeuniversity.edu/summer-honors/ or contact the Office of Student Development at 614-8406.