Graceland Students Present at Midwest Honors Conference

Patricia Thomas ’22

Five Graceland University honors students were selected to present their knowledge to other honors students and faculty from other universities at the Upper Midwest Regional Conference. This annual conference brings together Honors programs across the Midwest, from Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Dakotas, Iowa, and Nebraska. While any Honors student can attend, only a select number of students and faculty are chosen to present their scholarship. Students and faculty submit proposals and research/poster abstracts to the conference organizers, who then select which submissions will be able to present.  

Clara Cleland-Leighton ’23

Most Graceland honors student submissions are consistently accepted every year, in large part to due to the preparation provided by their junior and senior seminar research projects. Lacey Harder ’23, Clara Cleland-Leighton ’23, Caitlin Buchholz ’22, Salume Osakue ’22, and Patricia Thomas ’22 all submitted proposals of their academic work this year and were accepted for presentation. 

“Our honors students have been well trained, and we rival big schools who also attend the conference. This is a unique opportunity for the students to learn that their research matters and that what they are doing is legitimate research in their scholarly fields,” said Brian White, Dean of Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts, and Director of the Honors Program. 

These Honors students presented graduate-level research and fielded questions from other universities and gleaming with pride, White said, “When I see our students field questions sophisticatedly from professors at other universities, I am reminded of how incredible our honors program is.” Students being able to have their work presented at a regional conference is one among several opportunities that the Graceland University honors program helps them achieve. These accomplishments boost students’ resumes as they apply to graduate school and look for their first jobs. 

Learn more about the Graceland University Honors Program or send an email to honorscouncil@graceland.edu.