Alumni from the class of 2022:
"I am living in Columbus and just started medical school at Ohio State!!"
- Moira Anderson, '22
"I’m working as a copywriter for an ad agency called Brokaw on West 6th St. downtown. I currently live in Lakewood."
- Jack Giba, '22
"I am in Florida at LECOM (Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine) dental school. We started in July and my first semester will be wrapping up in a few weeks."
-Hannah Bouchy, '22
"I'm currently serving as the 14th annual JCU / NBC Meet The Press Fellow -- working on Capitol Hill and living just outside of Washington in Alexandria, VA. I am currently enrolled in THE Ohio State University Moritz College of Law with matriculation in August 2023. But to be quite honest, I don't think I'll be leaving Washington anytime soon."
- Aiden Keenan, '22
"I’m working at Oakwood Labs as an Associate Chemist in their rotational program between QC and R&D labs and I’m currently living in Beachwood."
- Madison DeTullio, '22
"At the beginning of June I started working for UPMC’s Hillman Cancer Center as a financial analyst. Since then, I’ve been learning a lot about what exactly a financial analyst does and have been involved in some pretty cool projects."
- Nicholas Nuzzo, '22
"I just started a biology PhD program at CWRU and my research will take place at Holden Arboretum."
- Miranda Shetzer, '22
"I’m in my first year of law school at Case Western. I have a full ride through the Weatherhead business school in a joint degree JD+MBA program)."
- Matthew Meyer, '22
"I am currently in San Antonio working at Respite Care of San Antonio, a non-profit serving kids in the community with developmental and physical disabilities, through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. I'm also in the process of applying to medical school and have my first interview (with the University of Buffalo) at the end of the month."
- Sarah Fallavollita, '22
"I am currently a second-year medical student at Ohio University Hospital's College of Osteopathic Medicine. I'm the President of the Addiction Medicine Club and the Vice President of the Pediatrics Club on campus. I am also a member of the Rural and Urban Scholars Pathway Program."
- Hannah Parson, '22
Honors Students Win Porter Scholarship Awards
The Roderick Porter Memorial Scholarship is awarded to senior John Carroll students for their outstanding commitment to the humanities, the fields of study that explore the complexity of the human condition -- chiefly History, English, Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, Communications, Philosophy, and Theology and Religious Studies. The Honors Program is proud to announce that two of our own -- Marie Kanzinger and Olivia Buckel -- have won the award for the 2025-26 academic year. Congratulations to Olivia and Maria. Well deserved!
Olivia Buckel is an English student from Erie, PA. She has a concentration in creative writing as well as a minor in professional writing. She works as a consultant in the JCU Writing Center and previously wrote and edited both articles and monthly newsletters for the Peace, Justice, and Human Rights program. She has edited Prose, Poetry, and Visual Arts for The Carroll Review, occupies a Media Beat Reporter position for The Carroll News, has worked as an Assistant Organizer for the Honors Service Board, conducted research for the Women and Allies Coalition, and just completed a research poster and presentation focused on anxiety disorders in writing centers for JCU’s Discover Research Day. She enjoys giving back to the Cleveland community she has found a home in, particularly through tutoring students through the CHUH District Options Program, and will be an intern this summer for CSSA’s Summer in the City Nonprofit Placement program. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running, going to the movie theatre, and exploring local cafes and bookstores. Olivia hopes to take her experiences, education, and writing skills in the humanities and work in nonprofits or professional writing full-time after graduation.
Marie Kanzinger is a junior English major with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies. From Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Marie has loved writing since her preschool teacher took her aside to write a story about a runaway horse. She works as a consultant in the university’s Writing Center, as an editor for the Carroll Review, and as financial officer for the Women and Allies Coalition. She has acted as a workshop leader for the John Carroll Young Writers Workshop, volunteered for Writers in Residence, and conducted research for the Writing Center over the summer on how consultants can best approach creative writing in the Writing Center. In her free time, Marie enjoys reading anything from horror to graphic novels, along with playing piano, drawing, and writing.
Honors Photos:
Dr. Bickart teaches class outside on a beautiful, sunny day.
Outdoor Honors class on the main quad.
JCU Honors students on trip to Los Angeles to take part in the AJCU Honors Conference at Loyola Marymount (March 2023).
JCU Honors students participate in Jesuit Day of service at local urban farm.
JCU Honors students participate in Jesuit Day of service at local urban farm.
JCU Honors students participate in Jesuit Day of service at local urban farm.
JCU Honors Students Dominate Discover 2025 Poster Competition
At this year’s Discover undergraduate research event, every category in the poster session — STEM, Business, and Humanities/Social Sciences, as well as the top three overall (all STEM) were swept by JCU Honors students. Congratulations to all!
Grace Burkin '25 Poster: "Exploring the link between coloration and stamina in relation to sexual selection in the Strawberry Poison Frog Oophaga pumilio in Costa Rica"
(3-way tie for Best Overall Poster)
Allison Foos '25 Poster: "Domestic Violence Victims' Satisfaction with Law Enforcement"
Winner, Humanities & Social Sciences
Isabella Kibler '26, et. al. Poster: "Screening Chlamydia trachomatis Type III Secretion System Chaperone Scc4:Scc1"
(3-Way Tie for Best Overall Poster)
Anthony Kucera '26 Poster: "Analyzing the Determinants of Consumer Sentiment in the United States: The Impact of Covid-19"
Winner, Business
Katie Vasiliauskas '25, et al. Poster: "Cardiac Remodeling in βARKnt Mice: A Focus on Female Responses to Pressure Overload"
Winner, STEM
(3-Way Tie for Best Overall Poster)
Current first-year students are able to apply to Honors in the Spring semester. Please email honors@jcu.edu for a link to our application. Applications are due by March 15.
Information for current Honors students:
The Honors Capstone Project
The Honors Pathway Award (guidelines)
JCU Honors - Frequently Asked Questions
How does JCU’s living-learning community work?
- Students in the Honors, Arrupe, Leadership, and Social Innovations Fellows program have the choice to room in Dolan Hall, the University's most recently renovated residence hall (and the only air-conditioned freshman dorm) during their first and second years.
Are Honors classes harder than non-honors classes?
- No. They are different, however: they are smaller, and most importantly they are more discussion-based, conversational, and inquiry-focused. Faculty teaching in Honors classes are encouraged to try new, unconventional methods.
What are the academic expectations for Honors students?
- GPA benchmarks are pegged to your class standing: freshman must have a 3.2 GPA; sophomores 3.3, and juniors a 3.4. By the end of your fall semester, senior year, students are expected to have at least a 3.45 GPA. If a student’s GPA falls to between 3.0 and the minimum for their class rank, they will be placed on academic watch. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0, removal from the program will be considered.
Will participating in the Honors Program make it more difficult to participate in other activities, academic or otherwise?
- No. Almost all of the Honors curriculum mirrors the university’s core curriculum, so there are very few credit hours that are in addition to the core. In every class, Honors students have participated in athletics, student government, study abroad, and many other clubs and activities. Honors students routinely have double majors and minors.
Do AP or other credits count towards Honors classes?
- A college-level public speaking class may count in lieu of COM 125H, and other AP and college-level classes will count toward the 120 credit hours required for graduation. But otherwise, those types of classes do not replace classes in the JCU Honors curriculum.
Do Honors students have a social space and/or classroom available to them?
- There is a social area in the Honors Program suite that includes a kitchen, a coffee machine, a conference table, and comfy chairs. The classroom inside the Dolan residence hall, residence in which is limited to students in the mission-based programs (including honors), is often used by Honors classes.
What are the “pathway” awards, and how do they work?
- Pathway awards are financial awards exclusively for Honors students. They are designed to encourage students to engage in exciting out-of-the-classroom learning experiences like study abroad and immersion trips. For more on these awards, including the application form, click here.
What’s the Honors book award?
- The Honors Program will cover the costs of your books in all of your Honors classes (but only your Honors classes). We have a seamless process with the JCU bookstore; they will have your books ready for you behind the front counter at the beginning of each semester.
How does the credit hour exemption work?
- Once per academic year, Honors students may receive permission to enroll for up to 21 credit hours with no extra tuition charge (the usual cap is 18 cr.) Students must have earned at least 30 credit hours at JCU and have a 3.5 GPA (either cumulative or during their most recent semester).
- More information regarding the total cost of attendance can be found here.
May I substitute non-Honors JCU courses for Honors classes, say by doing some extra work?
- No. Requests to substitute non-Honors classes for Honors classes will be politely but firmly declined.
- Why, do you ask? A few reasons. First, participation in the Honors program comes with the obligation to follow the Honors curriculum. Students may always withdraw from the Honors program if they do not wish to conform to its expectations. Second, if students were permitted to enroll in non-Honors classes, it would decrease enrollment in Honors sections, which would produce pressure to cancel those classes due to low enrollment. Finally, Honors classes are run differently from non-honors classes, and no substitution or “extra work” to bring a non-Honors class up to the level of an Honors class does this successfully.
What options are available for the Honors Project?
- The Honors program encourages students to experience both depth and breadth of scholarship. To that end, there are several options for the Honors Project.
- students may demonstrate depth of scholarship by enrolling in HP 450, Honors Capstone. They will complete an independent study project under the guidance of a faculty advisor and present their work at the annual Celebration of Scholarship.
- students may demonstrate depth of scholarship by completing a capstone project in their major area, presenting their research at the annual Celebration of Scholarship.
- students may opt out of the capstone project by demonstrating breadth of scholarship by minoring in a field different from their major area. For example, English major/Business minor; Chemistry major/Peace, Justice and Human Rights minor; Accounting major/Political Science minor.
