The Honors Program recently held its annual retreat for first-year students at Deer Run camp in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee. The Honors Program has done this event for five years, using it to help with community-building and retention within the Honors Program, according to Honors Director Dr. Jonathan Thorndike.
As one student noted in a reflection on the event, “I think that the Honors Retreat at Deer Run was a nice change of pace from how crazy classes have been. I was engaged and involved the entire time, which is very welcome as a new freshman. Seclusion was such a great aspect of the camp, as it is away from the hustle and bustle of the city… As far as Honors goes, I have a better understanding of what to expect in the future, and also see how close the members are. I am leaning towards the LEAD pathway… I am very impressed with the Retreat team and believe it is a true passion and goal for them to make newcomers feel welcome. I love how their energy spreads throughout the entire team and how contagious the happiness is. Overall, I was very happy with my experience and am thankful for all that went into making it happen.”