Student Panelists Share their Insights in Honors Thesis Workshop
By Xavier Aparicio
Content
On Tuesday, October 25, the Honors College facilitated a Thesis workshop titled “What I Wish I’d Known: A Panel on the Honors Thesis.” The second installment in this series, the virtual event gave its 40 attendees an insight into the Honors Thesis process from a student perspective.
The Honors Thesis is a project that all Honors students complete. By working with UMass Amherst faculty across various disciplines, students have the opportunity to explore research or pursue creative endeavors that are of interest to them.
Claire Harrison, a junior english major and peer coordinator at the Honors College, began the discussion.
Harrison’s thesis is an individually contracted research manuscript that focuses on climate anxiety in literature. She came up with the idea after feeling her own anxiety about the future of the climate, and credits her thesis seminar for helping her hone in on this topic. She also strongly highlighted the guidance she received from her thesis advisor:
"Your thesis advisor is your ally. If you don’t know something, they are there to help you." — Claire Harrison
After emphasizing the abundance of support in the thesis process, Harrison introduced the next student panelist, Honour Rhodes. A senior legal studies major and peer advisor at the Honors College, Rhodes completed her thesis during her junior year, and focused on discriminations in legal systems, in particular, the jury selection process.
Rhodes was inspired to complete her thesis after writing a literature review in a criminal law class. She decided to expand on her work in this class, converting it into her Honors Thesis.
She also noted that connections to faculty early in her college career helped her in completing the Honors Thesis a year early:
"It’s never too early to start thinking about your Thesis process. Even if you're a freshman or sophomore, reach out to professors and build relationships with faculty, it will help you immensely." — Honour Rhodes
Victoria Bones echoed the advantages of completing the Honors Thesis. A part-time academic advisor and a graduate student in public policy, Bones graduated from the Honors College last year as a legal studies major. Her thesis focused on the dynamics of legal systems as connected with the foster care system. She strongly believed that completing the Honors Thesis gave her academic and writing skills that prepared her for graduate school.
Bones concluded by emphasizing the valuable experience that the Honors Thesis brought her and the valuable opportunities that she had throughout the process. She then introduced the final panelist of the evening, Carlea Dolcine.
Dolcine is an Honors student ambassador and a senior in the Honors College double majoring in psychology and Afro-American studies. Her thesis focuses on the “visions and revisions” of how schools have historically underserved Black and Brown students. She was inspired to do her thesis while working with underserved communities of color through the Community Scholars Program with the Office of Civic Engagement and Service Learning.
Dolcine also emphasized the support that Honors students receive through their faculty advisors:
"Really use your faculty chair and thesis chair. They oftentimes are just as excited as you are in completing your thesis, and they really want to be there in any way that they can be there for you." — Carlea Dolcine
Lastly, Elena Carbone concluded the event by highlighting the Honors College Writing Coach. The writing coach offers assistance in the writing process for class assignments, essays, and most importantly, the thesis itself. You can schedule an appointment with the Writing Coach through Navigate.
After this, Dominick Usher offered the opportunity for students to ask questions and alluded to the third and final thesis workshop of the semester. The next workshop will explore the Honors Thesis submission process in CHC PATHS and will be held on November 29. Stay tuned to the events page so you don’t miss out!