#MyFerrum Experience in Academics

by Brett W., Panther Blogger

With the onset of the #MyFerrum campaign, I thought it would be a wonderful idea to write some of my upcoming blogs on different facets of #MyFerrum experience!

In my freshman year, fall of 2012, I began my horticultural path by being enrolled in BIO-202, Introduction to Plant Science.  I sat directly up front and remember the first day being the only freshman in the class.  Because I had taken AP Biology in high school, the credits transferred and I was able to take the 200-level class during my first semester at Ferrum.  I also took AGS-110 Issues in Agriculture that first semester, which really broadened my horizons on how much further agriculture reached than just my realm of greenhouses and floristry.

The next semester, spring of 2013, I enrolled in HOR-321 Plant Propagation, which was taught by my advisor, Dr. Pohlad.  I had the amazing luxury of being just one of six in that class, which let me begin to develop a relationship with my advisor and with Ferrum's agricultural program that couldn't be matched anywhere else.  We did projects such as help run the Plant Sale that occurs every spring, and even fill the planters and design the flowers of Dr. Braaten's home.  We went on field trips to Virginia Tech to view their tissue culture lab, and we traveled to Riverbend Nursery to get a tour and first-hand look on how a commercially larger-scale operation is run.  That same semester, I started my green roof practicum and took both half-semester horticulturally-derived topics in science classes:  SCI-124 Edible Wild Plants and SCI-130 Healthy House Plants.  This was also the semester that I traveled abroad to Peru for my E-Term, and the Honor's Program enriched the class by producing a field guide for the orchids of the Inca Trail!

The following fall of 2013, I took HOR-410 Greenhouse Management also with Dr. Pohlad, which was my first 400-level class in my field.  This had more of an impact than I expected, which was very fortunate for me.  Back when I toured Ferrum College before I was a student, my admissions counselor brought us through the Academic Resource Center and talked about the Peer Assisted Learning Program, where students can be tutors to help fellow students learn and understand specific classes better.  I remember her explaining that and how I could not wait to eventually one day be a PAL tutor in a horticulture class!  Well, three semesters later, I was asked if I wanted to help out and tutor BIO-202 since I was proficient in my knowledge and already taking my major classes in my sophomore year.  I obviously said "yes"!

My design for the Adam's Lake Riparian garden

Since then, I have taken HOR-418 Plant Pest Management, which let me become legally licensed in pesticide application, and HOR-411 Landscape Design and Management, which presented me the opportunity produce and present a design for our Titmus Agricultural Center entrance and the Adam's Lake Riparian garden.  My proposal was actually chosen and reproduced for the Adam's Lake Riparian garden restoration project!  The semester after those two classes - in the fall of 2014 - I took HOR-415 Plant Disease, AGY-315 Soil Science and Management, and AGS-417 Agricultural Business Management.  While still continuing to tutor the BIO-202 class, I also did another practicum where I was additionally a Lab Assistant for the class.  This gave me valuable experience first-hand on how to work in a lab as a facilitator while also providing me the opportunity to hone my skills in teaching and explanation.

My Riparian garden design being implemented!

Currently, I am enrolled in BIO-419 Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, which I am loving, and I am I beginning to undertake a project studying tissue culture and phytohormone application.  This project, tied in with my junior seminar paper, is helping me and teaching me how to properly go about producing and conducting graduate-level work.  This semester, I also began tutoring HOR-321 Plant Propagation, which I took just year before, so I have a feeling of accomplishment that really helps me get up in the morning.  I have this all thanks to #MyFerrum experience!

With only AGS-314 Animal/Plant Breeding & Genetics left to complete my major's required classes and BIO-306 Nonvascular Plants & Fungi left to take as an elective to complete the requirements to be invited into the National Biology Society, I know that my time left here at Ferrum is coming to a close.  But a year is still a lot of time to continue to make my mark on this campus because:  This is #MyFerrum. 

The Important Things

by Laken P., Panther Blogger

As the semester goes on, pages and pages of papers are typed, hours are spent studying for exams, sleep is hard to come by, and stress is evident on the faces of nearly everyone. Through all of the academic struggle we endure during the thirteen weeks that make up a semester, it is easy to forget about having fun.  We try so hard to earn every point, make the highest grades we can, and boost our resume in every way possible that the other college experiences are sometimes pushed aside.  As I am over halfway done with my short time in Ferrum, I can look back and say that perhaps the most important lesson I have learned so far cannot be found in any textbook or lecture - it must be experienced.  The best advice I could give to an incoming student is to learn this lesson quickly and value it the entire time you are here.

Halloween!

College is about getting an education and preparing yourself for the rest of your life, but academics is not the only important thing.  How many people can look back and say that they remember the grade they got on one of their mid-terms during their freshman year of college?  Now ask those same people about attending a formal, staying up all night laughing with your best friends, or going to eat at 3 a.m. because you just had to have a milkshake - their memory will be much clearer.  The friends we make and the memories we share will be what we carry with us for the rest of our lives. Don't get me wrong, the diploma hanging on the wall is key to your future, but what does it mean without some funny stories to share along the way?

Bid Day

The Great Fratsby

The amount of time that we are given in college is entirely too short, and before you know it, graduation will only be a few days away.  While it is easy to wish away all of the 8 a.m. classes after the 4 a.m. bedtimes from doing homework, losing these things also means losing the things that make college so special:  getting to live independently and surrounded by all of the people and events that will stay with you forever.

Friends in the Honors Program

Snowball!

This semester was definitely my hardest one to date, but at the same time, I also had some of the best times.  From attending Cirque Musica with the Honors Program to the Snowball, the Great Fratsby Celebration, holding events with the other Greeks on campus and going to Walmart at 2 a.m. to stock up on half-price Halloween candy, I have definitely learned to take in the experience as a whole. The push to have a 4.0 GPA is ideal, but it is not everything.  If you don't balance academics and fun and if you miss out on all that Ferrum and life have to offer, you will definitely regret it later on in life no matter how good your grades may be.

National Collegiate Honors Council in New Orleans!

by Jessa K., Panther Blogger

On Wednesday, Nov. 6th, myself along with two fellow students and two faculty members traveled to New Orleans, Lousiana to attend the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC).  Our first full day in New Orleans was spent participating in a program called City as Text. This event is used to help students become more familiar with the city where the conference is held.  My City as Text destination was the Presbytere, focusing on Mardi Gras.  My group learned all about the history of Mardi Gras from its conception through today.  We learned about the importance of costumes and how the different groups who throw trinkets to the crowds came to be.

After our time at the Presbytere, we went to Café du Monde for lunch where we had Café au Lait and beignettes.

The next day, I presented at one of the student poster sessions.  My poster encompassed the research that I worked on about The Taming of the Shrew during the previous spring semester. After my poster session, I attended two other sessions:  one about writing newsletters within the honors program and another about the over-involved student. All three sessions were extremely informative and I was able to not only bring back new knowledge for myself but also for the honors program.

On Thursday and Friday night, we all went out to local restaurants to get an authentic taste of New Orleans.  One night during one of our outings, we ran into Aaron Sanchez, a celebrity judge on the show Chopped.  We were all too chicken to approach him except for Paige, who walked right up to him and asked for a photograph.  I am so glad she did because my mom, who is a major fan of the show, was able to see the picture.

Our trip to New Orleans for the NCHC was one of the best I've had so far at Ferrum. I had fun, I made new friends from all across the country, I was able to work on my professional skills in a low-stress environment, and I also learned that I really do not take enough pictures of everything (thanks, Paige, for letting me use all of your great pictures).  I have already started working on literary research to present at next year's conference in Denver, Colorado!

Hello from New Panther Blogger Jessa!

by Jessa K., Panther Blogger

Hi!  My name is Jessa.  I am from a small town in southwestern Virginia named Cana. It is very similar to the Ferrum Community. I am an English major with a minor in Spanish, and I am a sophomore at Ferrum College.  I intend to get my doctorate degree and teach college-level literature.

I heard about Ferrum during my sophomore year of high school because my best friend was looking at colleges and had fallen in love with Ferrum. As I drew closer to my senior year, I too began to receive information from Ferrum College. I found out that I qualified for the Boone Honors academic scholarship.  I actually applied to Ferrum as my back-up school in case my two first-choice schools did not work out, and they didn't.  However, I tell people all the time that Ferrum is my blessing in disguise.  While it was not my first choice, it has become my home. I love walking down the sidewalk and being able to say hello to all of my professors!  I was able to do literary research as a freshman and participate in two conferences with my findings. I find myself calling Ferrum home more and more.  There is honestly no place in this world where I would rather be receiving my education.

I am very involved on the Ferrum campus.  I am the founder and president of the Ferrum College Lions Branch Club. It is a service-based organization that focuses on health. I am also the secretary of the Spanish Club. This club is also a community service organization with a focus on the Hispanic community.  I am a member of the Boone Honors Program. I am also an Admissions Ambassador for the Ferrum College Admission's Office.  Being so involved in the Ferrum College community has allowed me to fully enjoy my college career so far!

Opportunities!

by Delana S., Panther Blogger

This past week was been an interesting one. I was honored at the Women's Leadership Conference for my leadership, was accepted to be in Phi Alpha Theta, and have the opportunity to apply for an internship in Washington D.C.  To have all of these opportunities means a lot to me because I have the chance to show who I am and also create a future for myself that I am actively choosing and taking part in.

Phi Alpha Theta is the international honor society in history, and you have to be invited to join. For me, this is really big because it is starting to show how involved I am with my studies and how that is making a difference in my life. I am very excited about this!

I am also excited for the internship that I am applying for because by participating in that program, I would be able to work within my major and meet experts in the field. It would give me a good glimpse into many different fields of study that I am interested in and allow me to network with future employers.

Other than that, the only things that take up a lot of my time are finishing my degree plan, which is my plan for graduating on time, and doing homework for all of my classes. Things seem to be getting more promising for the upcoming weeks, so I can't wait to see what is in store for me.

Honors Conference: Our First Time in Boston!

by Jessa K. and Paige R., guest student bloggers

Before the sun came up on November 15th, we left for the Roanoke airport to begin our journey to Boston, Massachusetts for the National Collegiate Honors Conference. We were there with Dr. Stevens and Dr. Via, and it was the first time any of us had been to Boston. Everything was so new for us!  The view from our hotel room was amazing!  We agree that Boston is absolutely one of the most beautiful cities we had aver seen.

Dr. Stevens, Dr. Via, & us at the Old South
Meeting House

The first night, we were able to do a little exploring before the keynote speaker and the welcome reception. The conference did not really get underway until Friday. On Friday, Paige mentored two sessions. During the sessions, there was anywhere between one to six main speakers who took turns presenting research they had been working on during the year. The topics presented ranged from how to write a good honors program newsletter to analyzing surveys that honors students take about their courses. All of the sessions were extremely informative, and we were able to return to Ferrum with many ideas that we were excited to implement in our own Boone Honors Program.

Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory!

On Saturday, we were able to go sightseeing in historical Boston. We saw all the major sites: Paul Revere's home, the Massachusetts Statehouse, the Commons, the Old Statehouse, Faneuil Hall, and Harvard College. Our favorite part was definitely the visit to Harvard. It was so beautiful and historical.

Visiting Harvard

As we traveled through the historical area, we did a lot of shopping and eating. We both tried oysters for the first time at Dr. Stevens' advice. They were very intriguing, but we're pretty certain that neither of us will be trying oysters again. We had a blast on the subway and found out the hard way that it is essential to hold onto something -- anything -- when the train takes off!

The Honors Conference was a very interesting experience. We are so glad that we had the opportunity to go and represent Ferrum College. It was so much fun to learn about another place, especially a place that holds such important historical value for our country. Next year, the conference will be held in New Orleans. We know that will be another great opportunity for Ferrum students to learn from other honors programs as well as bring research to present to help other programs.

Ferrum’s Honor Program

By Grant W., Panther Blogger

The Boone Honors Program here at Ferrum College offers many different opportunities that enhance the learning process on campus and gives students amazing experiences. The program is by invitation only and has many perks. One of the most beneficial things that the program offers is the Boone Honors Scholarship, which is awarded to students who maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

Roberts Hall

Another important perk that was just recently incorporated on campus is the reserving of most of Roberts Hall for honors students as an academically-focused residence hall that promotes good study habits and community. The program also hosts different events, classes and programs that honor students get to enjoy for free while exercising and extending their minds to a higher level.

President Braaten and her husband with us at Cirque Du Soleil

Besides taking regular outings together each semester, the program also offers a trip for any honors student to attend, free of charge. Some past programs have included going to different plays, musical events, and historical landmarks. This past weekend, we went on a trip to see Cirque Du Soleil. Before each trip, we all go out to eat at different places in the area while we get to fellowship with friends. Some of the more exciting restaurants we have been to include Chinese and Indian restaurants.

The Honors Program is not all fun and play though; each student is required to take specialty courses and enrich their academic success with some extra work. This may seem like a daunting task since most students just try to graduate in four years; however, Dr. Lana Whited, the program director, along with any other professors pride themselves in working with their students to excel and succeed.

The program is a very well-constructed enrichment to any student’s academic career and will offer you many different experiences. The program has brought me many different exciting experiences along with providing me with tight bonds with professors and fellow students.