Over 500 students gathered in Hendricks Chapel Sept. 5 to celebrate the new academic year in the Renée Crown University Honors Program’s first Assembly of Scholars.
The Renée Crown University Honors Program’s first Assembly of Scholars was held Sept. 5.
The event consisted of speeches from three students and the interim Director of Honors and Associate Dean for Academic Initiatives and Curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences Laura Machia; Honors core faculty member and School of Information Studies Professor Steve Sawyer; and Associate Director of Honors Allie Heppner. Together, the speakers ushered in a new year of community building, commitment and curiosity.
All students in the program were invited to attend.
During his speech, Sawyer asked students from each school to stand and be recognized, highlighting the various academic disciplines represented.
“When I call out your college or school, please stand. Then, look around and see the community of masters and scholars that you can join,” Sawyer said.
The student speakers—Chidera Olalere ’26, Katie Rogers ’26 and Nathan Torabi ’26—shared various stories about community involvement, academic excellence and ambition that served to show how the University experience is what each student makes of it.
Olalere, an international student from Nigeria, emphasized the importance of initiative and self-advocacy when it comes to research and academic success. She encouraged students to take advantage of resources like the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (the SOURCE), labs on campus and faculty who are eager to work with committed students.
“You have so many resources available to you, but you need to choose to use them,” said Olalere. “Take advantage of every opportunity you have and lean on the experiences of those sitting around you.”
Rogers said her “why not” attitude led her to many amazing experiences during her three years at the University.
“In my eyes, the possibility of finding another community or home on campus and making new friends is much more exciting and will override any fear of trying something new,” Rogers said. She said Honors is less about extra requirements and more about exploring and opening doors.
Nathan Torabi ’26, Chidera Olalere ’26 and Katie Rogers ’26 at the Assembly of Scholars
Torabi invited students to think about their own unique paths and to embrace the diversity and challenge built into the program.
“Every single one of us will push each other to do more by contributing our own perspectives, pushing boundaries and making the most of our short time here,” Torabi said. He highlighted the personal growth that comes from Honors requirements like the thesis and civic engagement.
While distributing lapel pins to the students at the end of the program, Heppner said, “Not every hour of your college journey will be spent in Honors classes or events, but your identity as an Honors student is something you carry into everything you do … You are not alone. You are part of something larger.”
As the assembly concluded, Machia left the crowd with some words of wisdom. “First, it is okay to change your mind. I do not have the career I first imagined I would. I love my career,” he said. “Second, it is okay to lean into the messier parts of life and learning. Give yourself grace to grow at whatever speed you do, while treating yourself and others kindly.”
Story by Charlotte Bingham, a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program and a double major in anthropology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and digital humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences
