Transforming Students Through Innovative Experiences
Angel Esquivel Vazquez. Photo by Bobby Ellis/Ball State University
Studying abroad one of many opportunities Honors College provides students with life-changing experiences
When Ball State University’s Honors College was formed in 1959, it was founded on an ambitious premise—to recruit and empower students who are highly motivated, curious, and intellectually engaged.
Through the last 60-plus years, these students have helped raise the University’s profile through their academic achievements, leading them to careers that change the world.
Students in the Honors College have access to enriched and enhanced opportunities, such as challenging research fellowships with faculty members, internships with nonprofit organizations, and working on community-based projects.
“It says a lot about the motivation and engagement of our students on this campus who are asking to have these kinds of experiences,” said Dr. Jim Buss, dean of the Honors College. “I think it’s why Immersive Learning and those hands-on experiences work so well at this institution. This is at the core of the philosophy and mission of Ball State, which attracts students who have that desire to engage in that kind of work.”
Ball State University first-generation student Angel Esquivel Vazquez had a life-changing experience with a trip to Ireland over the Summer. Mr. Vazquez had his trip completely paid for through funding and scholarships, enabling him to study different healthcare practices at the University of Limerick.
One student who has received a transformative experience is Angel Esquivel Vazquez, a second-year Biology major and Chemistry minor. During his first year on campus, Mr. Vazquez—who is also a first-generation student—sought out an opportunity to expand his education.
“I’m very interested in being in medicine,” Mr. Vazquez said. “I’m not so worried about being a physician, but I really want to help people because I was born with a heart issue of my own. Being able to help those who are similar to me or have had an issue like mine is something that I’m really passionate about.”
After seeking counsel from faculty in the Honors College, Mr. Vazquez found an opportunity to spend the Summer at the University of Limerick, a research institution located in Ireland.
While abroad, Mr. Vazquez took a module called “Developing Self as a Healthcare Practitioner,” and while he learned different healthcare practices, he said he took away something much more valuable in the process.
“It was a lot less about the very hard math and science that I’m very used to, and it was more about making yourself a better person in order to be patient and be responsive for those people that you’re helping,” Mr. Vazquez said. “I learned different strategies for time management, self-care, and various ways to handle the stressful situations that happen while working in medicine.”
Through funding and scholarships Mr. Vazquez received from the Honors College, his trip cost him nothing.
“I didn’t start with anything, and I was able to go have a first-class experience in Ireland completely free. Ball State students can do anything because they have everything here.” — Angel Esquivel Vazquez
Mr. Vazquez is one of many success stories from the Honors College—students who have had life-changing experiences. But the need to help make similar experiences available to more students is greater than it ever has been.
“Nearly 34 percent of our enrollment consists of Pell-eligible students,” Dean Buss said. “Experiences like Angel’s are made possible by the great donor support we have for our undergraduate fellows.”
Just this past academic year, the Honors College welcomed 435 students in a freshman class on the path to fulfilling careers and meaningful lives.
“I’m always amazed at the number of students who want to take advantage of that program to expand their education, study abroad, and study way beyond the footprint of this campus,” Dean Buss said.
Through his transformative experience, Mr. Vazquez has a completely new outlook on his time at Ball State.
“Studying abroad wasn’t on my radar when I first got to Ball State, but through opportunities that I learned from the faculty in the Honors College, I was able to have a unique experience that I don’t think you can find anywhere else,” Mr. Vazquez said. “I think I found a lot of myself when I was over there and the kind of person I am. This trip set me up for success for not only my career, but for the rest of my life.”
