Summer Honors participants Matthew Burchfield from Springfield, Tn. (left) and William Kaylor from Cleveland, Tn., are pictured here sorting through donations at the ReStore on service day
The 2017 Summer Honors staff and participants are pictured here in a group photo
Students experience rafting down the Ocoee River
Lee University concluded its 32nd annual two-week Summer Honors residential program, which drew 213 students from 23 different states and Indonesia to Lee’s campus, a record-setting turnout.
Summer Honors provides incoming freshmen and rising high school seniors with a unique educational, spiritual, and interactive experience to prepare them for the academic and social challenges of college.
One of the many opportunities participants 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 13 classes offered in order to introduce them to and prepare them for a university-style classroom. The courses included “Don’t Do Business Like a Zombie,” “The Film Experience: Understanding Cultural Language through the Cinema,” “The Human Machine: Are You Steve Rogers or Captain America?” “Leading in the Millennial Age,” and “The Science of Chocolate,” among others.
“Summer Honors 2017 wasn’t just a record-breaking year; it was a transformative experience for all of us,” said Dr. Mike Hayes, vice president for student development at Lee. “The students performed well academically and created a palpable sense of community. Experiencing these two weeks with these talented students always inspires me and makes me even more hopeful for the future.”
Aside from taking classes, students were able to enjoy other activities such as Chattanooga’s Riverbend, Superfly Extreme Air Sports, the movie “Cars 3” in theatres, whitewater rafting, and an Atlanta Braves baseball game.
In addition to devotionals and small groups, service is another aspect of spiritual growth that Summer Honors focuses on. The students embraced this year’s spiritual theme of fixing one’s eyes on Christ and running a Christian’s race together, and expressed their faith through hands-on service, according to Dr. Hayes.
During the two-week experience, students spent one Saturday serving various organizations throughout Cleveland such as Tri-State Therapeutic Riding Center, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, God’s Lighthouse Tabernacle, Cross Pointe Church of God, Public Church, Prospect Elementary School, Family Promise, The Caring Place, and Lee’s Crossover Ministries, among others.
For more information about Summer Honors, visit http://leeuniversity.edu/summer-honors/ or contact the Office of Student Development at 614-8406.