The Honors Thesis Journey: Sunny Hwang

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Part 1: The Beginning 

The Honors Thesis is the culmination of your Honors classes and research work at UMass. Typically completed in your senior year, the thesis can be completed as an Individually Contracted Thesis (research manuscript or creative portfolio) or through a Thesis Seminar.

This series will track three senior Honors students as they go through their thesis journey. Sunny Hwang, a senior public health sciences major, is doing a creative portfolio about the sense of belonging. 

Read on to learn more about the start of Sunny's portfolio and the work she is doing now!

What is your creative portfolio about? How did you come across this topic?

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My Honors portfolio is about the sense of belonging, shown through a collection of filmed short stories and narratives. I came across this topic through my weekly creative work in progress (WIP) that allowed me to experiment with different narrative topics and themes.

What was the proposal process like? Do you have any tips for students?

My proposal process was different than most. I am completing my portfolio in one semester, so I had to submit the proposal during the summer. I spoke with many professors and CHC advisors, all who were extremely helpful. They worked with me a lot to make this work, many zoom calls over the summer.

"I would advise students to start brainstorming and filling out the proposal sheet ASAP!"

How has your portfolio come along so far? What are you planning to do next?

I wanted to incorporate the theme of belonging into my portfolio. Originally, I planned on creating an acrylic painting or soft pastel piece, but realized that I was more passionate about creating a short film based on a recent narrative that I wrote. I made this last-minute decision with my Honors committee members, and I am excited to see how I play the emotions out in the video. I have most of my narratives for the portfolio, and now I am working on creating the creative film for the portfolio as well as the 10-page preface. 

How did you plan the execution of your ideas? 

I had my narrative written docs, and wrote myself comments for each scene and how I envisioned myself to film/express each of the scenes. For instance, I had the idea of using red construction paper as a way to show a physical representation of my emotions. The way I handled these red construction papers in the film would represent how I was handling my own emotions in each portion of the narrative.

Why did you choose this topic?

"I chose this topic because the sense of belonging played a significant role in my life. It was also evident that many of my narratives incorporated the theme of belonging."

How does it feel to be completing your Honors Thesis?

It's stressful, but also rewarding! I was dreading to start the portfolio, but the support I received from my honors committee members, classmates, and CHC advisors really helped me enjoy the process. This is a one-semester project that I ended up enjoying, and I am excited to wrap it up. 

This is the first installment of a three-part series. Stay tuned to learn more about Sunny's thesis journey!