The new Honors College Path Program is designed to transition students of great potential into the Honors College while simultaneously exposing them to the resources available on the University of Arkansas campus. This first group, consisting of 18 students, is quite diverse, with varying majors, involvement, and interests. What is really exciting is that the Path students aren’t confined to a single geographic region –– they come from cities across Arkansas, surrounding states, and as far away as Okinawa, Japan.  

The Path students are finally here! After months of designing programming objectives, reviewing applications, and making final selections, there was much excitement as the first group of Path Program students arrived at Ozark Hall for the Meet & Greet on Friday, August 22, 2014.  The students had a chance to meet the Honors College staff, their peer mentors, and of course each other!  They immediately blended well amongst each other and were warmly greeted by the staff members.

The students got a special treat at the beginning of the event as they heard from Honors College Dean Emeritus Bob McMath. His kind words set a positive tone for the Meet & Greet and provided inspiration for the upcoming school year.

What really connected the individual students into an “unbreakable chain” was the Zoom activity. Each student received a couple of pictures, which only she or he could see. Then, using only verbal communication and critical thinking, the group worked together to organize 30 seemingly unrelated pictures into a unified story –– in just 15 minutes! As a cohort, they learned to puzzle out how each picture transitioned to the next. This activity created a “path” of images that suggested the purpose of the Path Program – to develop a group where each unique person supports and impacts another, creating a path towards success.

Coincidentally, the student to place the first segment of the Zoom activity is the first to kick off the “PATHways” student spotlight series.