HONORS
Staff Spotlight
Writing stories The fall Honors Staff Spotlight focuses on Elizabeth Hughes, who is teaching Honors students how to channel their experiences into career-shaping stories By Stephanie Schupska
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t the beginning of each semester, a handful of undergraduates ask for directions to Elizabeth Hughes’ office. Her workspace—in Room 001 on the ground floor level of Moore College—can be a little tricky to find on the first go, but once students figure out where her office is and the professional advice she is able to give them, they don’t typically get lost again. Elizabeth is a student affairs professional in the Honors Program. She teaches students how to tell their stories in the most compelling way possible. In a space bright with windows, more than 350 Honors students a year receive professional development help, which includes feedback on their resumes, tips on cover letter writing, markups on their application essays, and practice preparing for interviews, specifically for advanced degrees and certain scholarships. “I love working with words,” Elizabeth said, “and I love the creativity, critical thinking, and challenge of this job. Every statement and resume is different, written for a different purpose and expressing a unique story.” In Elizabeth’s one-on-one appointments with students, the writing and editing skills she gained from years as an English teacher come in handy, whether pointing out quick grammatical fixes, making formatting suggestions, or helping someone connect their ideas in a coherent and compelling way. Her job, she said, involves listening, thoughtful reflection, honest feedback, critical reading, and openness to different perspectives. “Writing a personal statement is hard,” Elizabeth said. “It requires a lot of
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UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
introspection, and it can make one feel a bit vulnerable to put these personal and intellectual motivations down on paper for a stranger to read and evaluate. Students share these reflections in our conversations as they are hashing out how to represent themselves on paper—I am honored to be part of this process.” Elizabeth joined the Honors Program eight years ago, and her job has evolved to serve more and more students each year. She works with all Honors students, from the first-year who wants to talk about the path to medical school or create a first college resume to the fourth-year who is applying to med school, law school, graduate school, Fulbright English teaching assistantships, or graduate research fellowships. The range also includes midyear students applying for external scholarships, summer research programs, or internships across the globe. In addition to scheduled appointments and drop-in hours in her office, Elizabeth also holds workshops several times a semester, which allow her to work with groups to polish their resumes and cover letters. Elizabeth coordinates the campus process for the national Boren Awards and the Beinecke Scholarship and advises students for the Critical Language Scholarship and the Pickering and Rangel fellowships. And she heads the Crane Leadership Scholarship, which is awarded to rising third-year Honors students and recognizes leadership in extracurricular activities and/or involvement with civic or community organizations. Elizabeth’s role is one of the many ways the Honors Program is working
“I love the creativity, critical thinking, and challenge of this job. Every statement and resume is different, written for a different purpose and expressing a unique story.” Elizabeth Hughes
Student affairs professional, UGA Honors Program
