freshman corner: Obstacles, Growth, and Newfound Capabilities
With the two quarters that I have taken so far at La Sierra, the adjustment period was as expected going from high school to university in an online environment. Transitioning from high school to college in the first quarter, I definitely had some struggles knowing...
Presenting Student Research and Scholarship
Regardless of major or areas of interest, whether in the humanities or the sciences, sharing one’s work with others is an exciting and important part of the learning process. In the Honors Program, students have the opportunity to share their work with their peers,...
Best Book, Favorite Book
Bogdana Golub Whitaker, graduating this June from the Honors Program with a double-major in English and History, discusses what she feels to be the best book ever written, and also her favorite book. Other Honors students and faculty also sent in their best and...
Dr. Maury Jackson Honors Faculty Spotlight
Loren Klim (Class of 2022, Philosophy) recently met via Zoom with honors faculty member Dr. Maury Jackson, associate Professor of Practical Theology, as well as the coordinator for Philosophical Studies Program at La Sierra University. What is your educational...
A Journey to the Past
We climbed up the small metal ladder onto the vast, humid C-141 military aircraft in the unpredictably sweltering heat of late March. It was not every day that visitors could board and explore the retired plane. Although dimly illuminated by the sunshine radiating...
Where are they going?
At 25 strong, the Class of 2021 is the largest graduating cohort in program history. Next year, graduating Honors students will be heading to the following locations: * Loma Linda University – Dentistry * Loma Linda University – Medicine * Loma Linda University...
Starting Conversations: Starting a Political Club at La Sierra
On Valentine's day 2018, the word Parkland became synonymous with tragedy. I was a sophomore in high school watching the news in class. Hours went by and the death toll became higher. The photos of those killed appeared on every television in the nation and I stared...
My Experience Teaching UHNR 101
I don’t think I need to retraumatize you, dear reader, with a reminder of what ran through our minds when we all realized COVID-19 would stick around longer than an extended spring break. On the cusp of graduation, I don’t know that the specific dread I felt then has...
Alumni Spotlight: Matthew MacDonald, M.D.
This quarter, I had the honor of speaking with Matthew MacDonald, M.D., a current third-year UCR family medicine resident (PGY-3). He is a 2013 La Sierra University alumnus and 2018 Loma Linda University School of Medicine graduate. Like many La Sierra University...
Cultivating Peace of Mind in a Busy World
Something that I believe we can all agree on during these times is that things are far from normal. Perhaps this has become our sort of new normal for the time being. During these times I believe that many of us have had to come face to face with how we are really...
Photos from Events
This event involved a discussion-based panel with Dr. Maury Jackson (Divinity) and Dr. Nathan Sutter (Biology). The topic was religion/spirituality and themes of science and finding a balance between the two. This event encouraged students to engage with abstract and...
freshman corner: For Them, Past and Present
At the beginning of my summer in 2020, I was so happy to be out of school and not have to worry about an upcoming test for the next four months. I would wake up late, eat, paint, play video games, and do all sorts of things to kill time. After a month of this routine,...
Freshman Corner: Scaling Mount College… From Home
One of the common things I heard from my high school teachers was how different college was going to be. Whether that was phrased in a good or bad way, I always knew it was going to be different. Well…. not quite so this quarter. For the most part, online college...
Reflection of Quarantine 2020
Quarantine. The dreaded words that have become a staple in our vocabulary as of 2020. I fell into the majority of people who thought that after a month or so of lockdowns everything would go back to normal, well as normal as things could be after a pandemic. With each...
Quarantine Baking/ Activity Corner (Pt. 2)
Quarantine, for the majority, is causing a lot of us to stay in our homes at longer periods of time, making our daily lives a bit sluggish. The Honors Office compiled a few baking recipes and a safe outside activity that you can do to brighten up your day just a...
Pre-Medical Society Plans a Virtual Guatemala Mission Trip
La Sierra University Pre-Medical Society usually plans a mission trip that takes place in Guatemala the first week of Winter break. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, these plans were cancelled earlier this year. In efforts to continue helping those in need, the club...
Adapting to the Quarantine Life
Over the last eight months, things have been interesting to say the least. Transitioning from dorm and campus life to life at home during the spring quarter was not as bad as I thought it would be. But going into summer is when it became more difficult as I would...
The MCAT/ DAT/ LSAT/ GMAT Experience and Advice
The following advice has been compiled from both Honors Alumni and current Honors students who have taken these standardized exams. Good luck to everyone who is planning on or is scheduled to take any of these tests! John Kim (Biomedical Sciences) on the MCAT:...
My Life in Quarantine
My life in quarantine has been all about establishing a personal routine. Interestingly, I have realized that a lot of the things that I have to do for school can easily be done online and at home. However I do miss going to class and other aspects of school, and the...
Goodbye, South Hall
Dr. Howe often points out how different I was as a freshman – timid, quiet,always hanging in the back of the classroom. Many people saw me this way. In mytenth-grade yearbook, there was a section where homeroom teachers described theirstudents with a quote. Everyone...
The Official Quarantine (Baking/Cooking) Corner
Amidst the quarantine boredom, two office workers from South Hall, Kierstin Dunaway and Kay Kim, have found a similar method to maintain their sanity quite well. We hope these photos can serve as an inspiration for your next cooking or baking adventure during...
My Time in Florence
I studied in Florence, Italy, from September 2019 to March 2020. My time there sadly came to an early end due to the onset of COVID-19 as I flew back home 5 days before the national lockdown there. The entire experience, especially towards the end, was definitely a...
A Farewell to Honors
I first joined Honors as its director in July 2016, and now find myself at the end of my four-year term. Prior to that, I served as the scholarship coordinator for Honors from 2007-2015, and also was a student in the program during the mid-1990s. You can...
Where Are They Headed?
compiled by Svetlana Sheindlin (Class of 2021) Amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, our seniors have great aspirations and are moving onto bigger and better things. After graduating from La Sierra University, our graduating seniors are heading to the...
Kierstin’s Experience in Quarantine
Since the quarantine hit, it has been an unusual time. Each day seems to bring a strange mixture of normalcy and panic. While there has been a plethora of changes, many of which I can’t control, I have found that there is much I can control. Like many, my daily...
Kay’s Days in Quarantine
It’s definitely been a rough journey for all of us as ever since we were told by La Sierra that all classes during the Spring 2020 quarter would be online via Zoom. Adjusting to a new lifestyle is a skill that is difficult for many of us. Personally speaking, it was a...
Best Film, Favorite Film
Best Film: Casablanca It took me some time to come to this classic, but Casablanca (1942) is truly one of the best films of all time. Ironically, it was originally slated to be a B-movie as it was produced in the financially-tight era of World War II. However,...
Freshman Corner: Learning to Love, and Thrive in, College
Before taking off for La Sierra University last September, I wondered if I would have a seamless transition from my home routine to living on my own for the very first time. Obviously, I was not ready to leave my bittersweet high school memories behind nor my parents,...
Guatemala Mission Trip
Where do I and how should I start? This mission trip was by far one of the most memorable experiences of my undergraduate career. This trip was special, as I was able to spiritually connect and talk with my classmates in a non school- related environment. I applied...
The Sutter Brothers: New Honors Teachers
Science and the Future, an Honors course taken during the junior year, is now in the hands of new instructors. This course has historically been co-taught, with two foci: the sciences and the arts/humanities. This year, Nate and Oliver Sutter, brothers, are...