Four Wayne Community College students were selected to present at this year’s North Carolina Honors Association Conference.
Janae Artis-Bass, Isaac Carreno, Guillermo Estrada, and Nicole Page were the only community college students invited to make oral presentations. All talked about projects they had completed during Honors program courses with other students who have already graduated.
“The proposals submitted this year reveal our member honors programs and honors colleges continually encourage students to engage in the kinds of thinking that serve us well as we reconnect with one another, build new social institutions, and bring existing communities temporarily knocked off-balance back online to meet the challenges of today,” conference organizers said.
Artis-Bass presented on “Protecting the Ones that Teach Us” about her Leadership Development course project that provided elder residents and family members information regarding neglect and abuse. The project distributed 100 informational care bags to seven Wayne County nursing homes or facilities catering to seniors.
Artis-Bass is a double associate in arts and associate in science major and is dual enrolled in the Wayne Early Middle College High School. She plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Music Entrepreneurship in New York.
Carreno’s presentation, titled “A Cultural Immersion Experience,” was on an Introduction to Intercultural Communication course project, “Brezels: A German Experience.” He and his team had engaged in a cultural exploration of Germany and the history of the brezel (traditional soft pretzel) which they used to engage their class in an immersive and engaging presentation.
Carreno is an associate in arts major and is dual enrolled in the Wayne School of Engineering. He plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in English and go on to law school, after which he wants to focus on bringing legal assistance to the Latino community.
Estrada’s presentation was on “Baskets of Care: Service Project for At-Risk Seniors in Wayne County.” It described a Leadership Development group service project that partnered with the local North Carolina Cooperative Extension, United States Department of Agriculture A Steps to Health program, and Meals on Wheels to provide low income seniors with nutritious snacks and information on where to find resources to create healthy meals.
Estrada is an associate in arts major who is dual enrolled at Wayne School of Engineering. He intends to earn a bachelor’s degree in Communications and work in politics.
Page presented on “Menstrual Products Drive Engaging Wayne Community Campus.” She reported on a group service project for a Leadership Development class that involved educating about the struggles of menstruating individuals, collecting products, and donating them to Wayne Uplift Resource Association, a domestic violence and sexual assault service provider.
Page is an associate in science major and is dual enrolled at the Wayne School of Engineering. She wants to obtain a bachelor’s degree in biology with a possible minor in genetics or forensics and pursue a career in either genetic counseling or forensics.
“All four students were well-prepared and gave organized and professional presentations,” said WCC Honors Program Coordinator Lyn Swafford. “Faculty and students in attendance were interested in their projects and impressed that all four students are dual enrolled. These students not only represented WCC well but all North Carolina community colleges.”
“Attending the presentation was a great way to represent Wayne Community College’s stellar honors program and showcase its emphasis on global education,” said Carreno. “Nothing is more enriching than teaching others about effective cultural communication and an expanded worldview.”
The Foundation of Wayne Community College funded the experience for the students through its mini grant program.
About the NCHA
The North Carolina Honors Association is comprised of honors programs and colleges from higher education institutions in the state of North Carolina. The public and private two- and four-year colleges and universities join together to build connections across the state and among their institutions by sharing high-quality academic research, creative works, and lessons learned in honors communities.
