Honors Fellows

By Katherine Hahn-Boisvert

Not many college students know from a young age that they will be going into their university’s honors program. However, from about the age of five, I did. My mother was the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Honors College president during her undergraduate years, and I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps. So, when I attended the Lorado Taft Honors Retreat my freshman year, and saw the Honors fellows in all their glory, I knew that is what I wanted to be. And yet, while I had this overarching dream that had forever been at arm’s length, I had no clue what an Honors fellow was, or even what my mother actually did in her Honors College as an undergraduate.

As the time came to apply for an Honors Fellow position, I had the most basic understanding of what Fellows did. They simply advised students and did the classic “jobs as needed” for the Honors staff. I was lucky enough to be given an interview, and eventually the position, although I was still confused on what I would be doing from day to day.

When I went to the Honors fellow training, my mind was blown with the variety of jobs that Honors fellows take on. Not only did we have to advise for two different sets of Honors Programs, but we were allowed to take on special projects that fit with our individual areas of expertise. For example, fellows can engage with the marketing side of Honors and work on social media, flyers and our weekly newsletter. Over the years, I have taken on a mentorship approach and have been working on engaging incoming freshmen with upper-division students.

My life as an Honors fellow was pretty standard as I took over more of a role in the advising side of the program. For five hours a week, I met with students and helped them reach their goals, which felt extremely fulfilling. And then the pandemic hit. Like every other office, Honors was impacted. Students were scared and left stranded by the uncertainties COVID-19 brought. Yet, the Honors staff and fellows were quick to act, taking on a virtual role and completing our assignments and advising sessions immediately. Although the role of an Honors fellow did look a bit different moving through the pandemic, it still remained what I loved, student-focused. We have a saying in the Honors Program, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable,” and we have taken that into our hearts over the past two years. As Honors fellows, we have needed to be flexible with our hours and take on virtual and in-person office hours while getting all our responsibilities done. We have taken up virtual programming opportunities that assisted so many students, and we will continue to have them moving forward.

While my three years as an Honors fellow did not go as entirely planned, it still turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences I have had while at NIU. There are not many times where you can see the direct, tangible impact that you have on someone. But I have. And it has been a privilege. Being able to tell students that they are on track to graduate with honors and handing them their stoles at our Honors Day ceremonies has driven me to be the best I possibly can at advising and being a friend and mentor to those who need one.

To the next group of Honors fellows, I wish to remind them to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” No matter what life throws at us next, Honors and its fellows will always be there to support the students and can provide them with opportunities to achieve their wildest dreams. Even if those dreams span back to when they were five years old.

Kat Hahn-Boisvert, leading a hike at our freshman Taft retreat.

Kat Hahn-Boisvert, taking a selfie with the rest of the Honors fellows.