Honors Program Students Give Back by Creating Holiday Cards

Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Honors Program students gathered to create holiday cards for the second year in a row with one goal in mind: to give back to the community.

Students created dozens of cards that they will be donating to a local nursing home, Medilodge of Kalamazoo. Honors Program Vice President Audrey Mattson, who created the idea, says this has been a rewarding experience.

"When I came into Kalamazoo Valley Community College, I always wanted to help out our community. I talked to our director, Kevin Dockerty, and said we need to make a change," Mattson said. "There are people out there who need a light during the holidays and they don't have it or just aren't seeing it."

Mattson said she is amazed with the level of participation they have seen from students.

"When I first started this, I thought five to 10 people would show up. Amazingly, 25 people showed up. I was blown away. That just shows you how amazing the Honors Program people are because they genuinely care about people and our community," Mattson said.

Honors Program President Jessica Brown says the events they participate in are what make the Honors Program special.

"One of the best things that we did together was this card-making event. I really felt a part of the group once we did that," Brown said. "I really do hope this continues as it's a lot of fun to do."

Brown said gatherings like this are what help build friendships within the Honors Program.

"We put a huge emphasis on working together and community. I think it's important to find your people because the curriculum is a little bit harder, so being able to reach out and have people to lean on is huge. We try to foster a sense of community and this has been a really great ice-breaker to do that," Brown said.

The Honors Program is a small community of highly motivated students who want the most from their college experience at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. The Program is designed to provide students with a meaningful experience at KVCC through one-on-one mentorship from faculty, and honors courses, events and scholastic opportunities designed to prepare graduates to transfer to any college or university of their choosing. Successful applicants are expected to graduate from KVCC before they transfer.

For more information contact Honors Program Director Kevin Dockerty at .