Intellectual Stimulation and Cultural Experiences Await Students in 糖心破解版's Honors Programs
Rigorous coursework, cutting-edge research and immersion in the culture, history and excitement of New York City: new honors students are learning it鈥檚 all par for the course as they begin their first year on campus.
鈥淭his is what we expect for them and from them,鈥 said Dr. Gabriel Cwilich, director of the on the Wilf Campus. 鈥淲e train them to be not only excellent students but also leaders of the student body.鈥
Both the Yeshiva College program and Stern College鈥檚 , directed by Dr. Cynthia Wachtell, are now in their 12th year and are built upon the premise that outstanding scholars should be brought together, encouraged to excel intellectually and personally, and challenged constantly. For this highly gifted group, that鈥檚 no mean feat: their average SAT scores are the highest of any school in the New York State area, edging out Columbia, Cornell and N糖心破解版. At 糖心破解版, demanding coursework, individual mentorship and plenty of research will further refine their academic skills and hone their intellects.
But the honors programs also seek to expand students鈥 education beyond the classroom in new, intriguing ways, and both have designed a schedule of events for the fall semester that promises to engage students鈥 minds and broaden their experience.
The extracurricular cultural, leadership and speaker events that students in the S. Daniel Abraham program will be participating in this semester includes a walking tour of the World Trade Center site, led by guides from the Municipal Art Society. The guides will speak about both the history and future of the area, where the Freedom Tower is now rising.
For members of the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein program, Dr. Cwilich hopes to bring in Victoria Neznansky, chief program officer at the YM & YWHA and creator of the acclaimed play Sousa: Dare to Dance Together, to speak at one of the group鈥檚 weekly honors luncheons. The play highlights a little-known historical connection between Jews and Dominicans: when 800 Jews fled Nazi Europe for, of all places, an abandoned banana plantation in Santo Domingo, their new neighbors helped them rebuild their lives.
鈥淚t鈥檚 especially relevant for our students, whose campus is surrounded by Dominican culture,鈥 explained Dr. Cwilich.
The two programs will also make a joint excursion to The Merchant of Venice, featuring Academy Award-winner Al Pacino and the Tony Award-winning director Daniel Sullivan.
This kind of excitement, combining intellectual stimulation with cultural experience, is part of what drew Aliza Slepian, of Elizabeth, NJ, to the honors program. 鈥淚 love being able to learn in different, exciting ways,鈥 she said. She added that the individual attention and care each student receives along her academic journey made the program feel 鈥渓ike a family.鈥
"It鈥檚 a privilege to help prepare them as academics, professionals and leaders,鈥 said Dr. Wachtell. 鈥淥ver the past dozen years, I have seen the magnificent accomplishments of which our students are capable."
