Reflecting on Community: A Vision for the Future

As part of the National Collegiate Honors Council’s (2022) collection of essays about the value of honors to its graduates (1967–2019), the author reflects on the personal and professional impacts of the honors experience. Being asked to reflect on the values I gained from my honors experience has been such a privilege, and I hope that my words can serve as a reminder to all who read them that we should never underestimate the power of reflecting on our practice—whatever that may be, inside of academia or otherwise. Having completed my undergraduate career five years ago and wanting to be very intentional with my response, I sat with this question for a few days and thought deeply about all the rewarding experiences I had through SUNY Brockport’s Honors College. After moving beyond some of the practical skills and values that I gained through the academic rigor of my coursework, there was one word that came to mind which embodies both a core pillar of my experience and a value that stays with me today: community