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��ɫӰ��’s Antonian Honors program has concluded another year full of achievements and milestones that highlight the dedication and excellence of its students and faculty. In 2022–23 the program reached new heights, graduating 26 students and bringing the total number of Antonian Scholars to 401 since its inception in 1991.

The fall semester kicked off with a trip to the Minnesota State Fair, where honors students gathered to volunteer. This commitment to community continued throughout the year as Antonian Honors program director Rafael Cervantes, PhD, and D’Ann Urbaniak Lesch, director of the Office of Scholarly Engagement, invited students to cheer on fellow honors students at basketball, volleyball, and soccer games and dance team performances.

In September, the program grew by 66 new students, who joined the prestigious community in a pinning ceremony in Our Lady of Victory Chapel. With anticipation and excitement filling the air, the honors program opened its doors to fresh minds ready to embark on a transformative academic journey.

“The 2022–23 academic year felt like a complete return of the honors program,” Cervantes said. “The visit to the Minnesota State Fair, pinning ceremony, attendance at athletic events, in-person senior project presentations, and record number of honors graduates — 26! — made this year feel particularly special.”

Throughout the year, the Antonian Honors program offered six honors seminars, each designed to challenge students intellectually while fostering a deep understanding of various disciplines. Courses such as Woman and Aging in Literature, co-taught by Susan Bosher, PhD, (English) and Lisa Rovick, EdD, (interprofessional education), and Let's Start with the Body!: Feminist Ways of Knowing, taught by Hui Wilcox, PhD, (sociology) and University of Minnesota performance artist Marcus Young, MFA, explored thought-provoking subjects that resonated with students' interests.

“Looking back on the courses that shaped my educational career the most, I am reminded of the many unique and transformative honors courses I’ve taken,” said Liz Bolsoni ’23, who took the honors course Mni Sota Makoce and Settler Colonialism: Communication and Theological Perspectives, taught by Margret McCue-Enser, PhD, and Vincent Skemp, PhD. “The learning opportunities in class and in the community have shaped how I strive to engage in Indigenous Liberation activism and solidarity. Many times, I felt unsure about completing a 15 page paper or performing in front of my class, but these classes pushed me to write and achieve at a level I did not know I was capable of. That is empowerment.”

The honors program prides itself on encouraging students to pursue diverse and thought-provoking topics, and this year's honors projects were a testament to this commitment. From the history of Chihuahuan cuisine to the exploration of the environmental cost of online shopping, and even an historical retelling of World War II civilian stories, the projects spanned a wide range of subjects, showcasing the students' intellectual curiosity and passion for knowledge.

The 2022-23 stood out for the variety of mediums through which students expressed their findings. Students presented their research using websites, podcasts, traditional research papers, children's stories, and even an awe-inspiring art collection. This innovative approach to sharing knowledge not only demonstrated their command of their respective fields but also showcased their ability to communicate complex ideas effectively.

With each graduating class, the honors program continues to shape future leaders, scholars, and changemakers, who are ready to make a positive impact on the world and contribute to the legacy of academic excellence that the program has built over the years.

and learn more about the program.

Antonian Honors is part of the Office of Scholarly Engagement, St. Kate’s hub for engaged learning, which also includes Community Work and Learning, Collaborative Research, Competitive Fellowships, and Global Studies.