Inspired by the title of large painting that hangs in our Commons, "Shine and Rise" has become an Honors College motto. And the spirit of those words is the foundation of the wide range of challenging programs available to our students — programs that help them shine as scholars and researchers and then become rising stars in the professional world or graduate school. Students can choose from several minors, such as the interdisciplinary Creative Work or Leadership Studies minors, as well as participate in targeted academic programs, such as the Cullen Honors Engineering Program.

But what's taught in the Honors College doesn't stay within its walls. Students take what they learn into the community via collaboration with area nonprofits and organizations in industries ranging from the arts to medicine. The Honors College also offers Common Ground, a two-week summer seminar providing local teachers new tools to teach literature.