‘You learn better when you belong’: A glance into the Newman University Honors Program
Imagine it is day one of college at Newman University and your heart and mind are racing as you walk across campus to your first class. Endless questions clog your mind and your nerves reach an all-time high. As you approach the door to your classroom, you take an anxious gulp and brace yourself to enter the unknown.
A panel of alumni speak on their current roles — from health care and technology to culinary arts and marketing. As you listen, you begin to feel at ease. You envision yourself as a leader like them, being a difference maker in your dream career.
Fast forward to five weeks in. During a class role-playing game called Athens Besieged, you confidently stood on a table and demanded that Athens defend its honor by fighting Sparta until the end instead of surrendering. An hour later, you excitedly chat with the same friends you plotted to kill in the class that just ended.
Throughout the Honors Program, students learn in unique ways that push them beyond their comfort zones alongside peers who become their friends. Kelly McFall, program director, said Honors is built on the belief that “you learn better when you belong.”
“When you belong, you’re more willing to take risks and share ideas, and it’s our goal to help Honors students find a family at Newman in which they can thrive,” he said. “Then we want them to take what they’ve learned and change the world.”
What is the Honors Program?
The Honors Program is an educational path through Newman with 17 years and 109 graduates to date. It is known for pairing students with leadership opportunities that allow them to grow and discover their skills, passions and an understanding of the world. Students research, write, attend conferences, travel, participate in book discussions and events, and even play historical role-playing games known as Reacting to the Past.
McFall’s ultimate goal is that Newman University’s Honors Program will be considered the Honors Program of choice among regional comparable institutions.
Maggie Di Silvestro ’11, a lawyer, wholeheartedly believes this goal is possible with McFall’s leadership commitment. As one of the first Honors Program graduates, Di Silvestro said it has been “gratifying” to watch the program grow and evolve.
“I really believe the Honors Program has the same traction and momentum Kelly McFall dreamt about over a decade ago,” she said. “His steady leadership has led to buy-in from other stakeholders that has grown the program to one where there’s a waitlist to get in. That was unfathomable when the program started.”
In the 17 years since its inception, the Honors Program has grown from just a handful of incoming students to 25 in fall 2024, with a total of 72 students currently in the program.
Several community-building initiatives have helped attract and retain students. In 2020 a house system akin to “Harry Potter” was implemented by former assistant director Emily Simon ’16 in a successful effort to better build connections within small groups. An Honors Program Lounge was also established in Sacred Heart Hall. It features a paint-by-numbers style mural designed by graduate Kayla (Garvert) Creed ’22 along with spaces for students to study, collaborate or relax. Upon graduation, every student can leave his or her own mark in the form of 4×4-inch squares on the wall of the lounge.
The Honors Programs’ success can also be attributed to alumni in careers like religious life, criminal justice, veterinary science, art, health care, teaching, psychology and more. Members of Honors are not just encouraged to engage during their four years as students, but also in the 40 years that follow. It’s through sharing career wisdom and life experiences that alumni can contribute in “important, meaningful ways to current students’ experiences,” McFall said.
Honors students are empowered to see the world from a variety of perspectives — to lead and to follow, and to learn deeply and broadly. McFall is passionate about the continued growth of this transformative program where students can become the best versions of themselves.
“Because the world needs who our students are becoming,” McFall said.
Meet a mix of honors students and alumni
Ariana “AJ” Sweitzer ’26
Major: Pre-professional veterinary medicine and biology
Dream job: Veterinarian
Honors takeaways (so far): Exploring Mammoth Cave National Park to discover how different environments affect wildlife
“Meeting people from all over the world allowed me to practice communication and team-building skills I can apply as a future veterinarian.”
Isabel Porres ’25
Major: Theology
Dream job: Catholic counselor or psychologist
Honors takeaways (so far):
Serving as intern for the Honors Program and attending the National Collegiate Honors Conference in Chicago
“The Honors Program prepares us to articulate ourselves well and even argue if necessary, have productive conversations and dissolve conflict while getting our point across.”
Hayley Stewart ’26
Major: Biochemistry
Dream job: Pediatrician or physician for under-served communities
Honors takeaways (so far): Attending the Annual Institute for Reacting to the Past in New York in 2023 and 2024 and studying abroad for a semester in Birmingham, England
“The Honors Program has been instrumental in helping me develop the soft skills that will support me in whatever career I choose.”
Mandi Becker ’18
Major: Theology and mathematics
Job: Beginning doctoral program in theology at St. Louis University to teach at college level
Honors takeaways: Having Honors option classes, advising meetings with McFall and being a taxi driver for “The Amazing Race” competition for 2024 Honors students
“Honors helped to foster my love for studying, teaching and learning in the college classroom. It showed just how deep and meaningful the work could be.”
Jaimie Fager ’14
Major: Biology and history
Job: Family medicine physician
Honors takeaways: Returning to campus in 2024 to present “Non-medical skills that could save (or start) your medical career
“Something I learned in Honors that’s essential to entering any field is to get to know yourself, your worldview and what your natural strengths and weaknesses are.”
Annie Dang ’19
Major: Biology
Job: Physician Assistant
Honors takeaways: Internship with the Partnership for Global Justice in New York City, crocheting plastic bags into mats for the unhoused and returning to speak on the Honors panel
“We were given the opportunity to ask more questions, continue searching out knowledge and to go above and beyond — all of which have been vital traits in my practice as a PA.”
Deacon Nick Samsel ’21
Major: Philosophy for theological studies
Job: Will be ordained as a Catholic priest in May 2025
Honors takeaways: Growing in leadership and communication as a seminarian
“Through different perspectives and opinions that challenged me, I gained a better understanding of where so many people in my generation are coming from — something that is so critical for ministry and evangelization.”
Sam Holmes ’23
Major: Biology
Job: Emergency medical technician, future paramedic
Honors takeaways: Collaborating with student Kenny Le ’23 to invite speakers from a variety of health care backgrounds to present to medical students on campus
“The (Reacting to the Past) games parallel my job as a first responder. I get to meet people on their worst days and immediately have to build their confidence and trust in me and my capabilities, even though we know nothing about each other.”
