Badge of Honor: Senior Tatum Covey Embraces the Challenges and Benefits of Westminster’s Honors Program
Biochemistry major Tatum Covey ’25 is enthusiastic about many things: her leadership in Kappa Kappa Gamma and position as a senator with the Student Government Association come to mind. But her in-depth thesis on Prevotella bacteria and the oral microbiome is particularly significant to the Westminster senior, whose original research took place in Westminster’s newly refreshed Honors Program.
“This has allowed me to learn more about topics that I wouldn’t necessarily explore in my major,” the senior from Quincy, Illinois, reflects, explaining the primary reason she has participated in the unique program since her sophomore year.
How to Apply to the Honors Program
Interested new students entering Westminster or those who will be sophomores during the next academic year are encouraged to apply for Honors Program membership. They first need to embrace Westminster’s spirit of interdepartmental disciplinary study and find a special thrill in creativity and research. Applicants also must meet a minimum high school GPA requirement of 3.5 or college minimum of 3.4, submit a writing sample, and provide recommendation letters from previous teachers or administrators.
Who Makes a Good Fit for the Honors Program
Dr. Allysha Martin, Honors Program coordinator and associate professor of Spanish, explains that students who are a good fit for the program are naturally excited about learning new information and collaborating with others.
“Honors Program students get the experience of having courses designed just for them, which are very discussion based and focused on big ideas,” she says. “They are individuals who benefit from personalized attention and support in going beyond what is being taught in the classroom, who don’t shy away from debate, and come to class engaged in the material, ready to take on more reading.”
Special Opportunities Within the Honors Program
Personalized attention and support initially takes place in special Freshman and Sophomore Seminar courses which explore a wide variety of topics, such as magic and medicine throughout history or the rule of law. The students continue to take an honors course together each fall until graduation. They also complete two seminars, internships, or other off-campus experiences before graduation.
Additionally, Honors Program students are provided with special conversational opportunities with speakers from Westminster’s various lectureships and other speaker events. They also are coached on how to prepare personal statements and other elements of graduate school applications.
In their senior year, the honors students’ Westminster education culminates in a special research paper or capstone project that showcases their three to four years of expertise.
Now in her senior year, Covey looks back at her time with the Honors Program and says it was one of her best experiences at Westminster.
“Through the Honors Program, I worked on my thesis, did an internship at a dental office in Fulton, and prepared a personal statement for graduate school,” Covey reminisces. “I truly had several amazing experiences.”
For more information on Westminster’s Honors Program, please contact [email protected].
