Welcome

You are now part of an internationally recognized university known for its exceptional commitment and success in advancing excellence, inclusion and innovation. You may ask, why is Barrett widely considered the Gold Standard in honors education and why is that important to me as I begin my academic experience with the college? The Barrett community is a game changer in the way it evolved and became the nation’s blueprint for honors with the first honors residential campus, the first honors experience on four ASU campuses plus Barrett Online, and the only honors community to have 150 faculty and staff with their home in the college which collectively means more individual attention to honors students, more faculty/staff resources (keeps class sizes small), and more funding for research, internships, travel and scholarships. We are a highly resourced honors community that brings honors students, faculty and staff together to explore, evolve, and connect through distinct academic and co-curricular opportunities across all academic disciplines. Most students and alumni tell us the best part of Barrett is the community; this reflects our commitment to providing a strong sense of belonging as you actively discover and pursue academic, personal growth and leadership opportunities of meaning and impact.

Your choice to be here starts with embedding yourself in a culture of engagement and action. That includes learning from faculty and peers through a large variety of honors prefix courses, while also navigating opportunities in the major(s). The Barrett honors curriculum is purposefully designed to be flexible; it encompasses a network of Barrett opportunities that enhance your preparation and self-confidence by imbedding experiences where you can learn more about yourself and how you wish to invest your time thinking about your present and future path(s). Through both our Office of Global Initiatives and our Life Prep services in Barrett, you will hear world and local community leaders share personal stories on their career trajectories in a way that feels accessible as you, too, learn to explore objectives with a sense of agency. In addition to our outstanding curriculum, honors is impact through research, internship, travel, events, leadership and service:

• Research and Internships: Barrett students engage in cutting-edge research with distinguished ASU faculty or through special partnerships with a variety of ASU research centers and the Mayo Clinic. In addition to earning honors credit for research, students can also earn honors credit for their internship experience. We encourage you learn about unique internship resources available to you and visit the webpage: Internships and Professional Development. Barrett Honors College students intern in a variety of settings such as Facebook, Microsoft, Intel, ON Semiconductor, Goldman Sachs, the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Community Legal Services, American Airlines, Estee Lauder, Boeing, and NASA. Once the semester starts, all Barrett students will receive the Internship and Research Roundup Newsletter via email. Additionally, our Barrett College Fellows Program is an excellent research opportunity, exclusively for Barrett students, to work with ASU faculty.
• Travel: We encourage you to participate in a variety of Barrett travel programs like the Honors Summer Study Abroad and Global Intensive Experience programs led by our Honors faculty. You can accumulate between one and six honors credits while exploring destinations that are home to the greatest philosophers of Western and Eastern thought. Our domestic travel options branded *Barrett Explores* include exploring Great American Cities, National Parks, and places within Arizona. Great American Cities is one of our most popular domestic travel programs. We also have opportunities to explore unique places in Arizona, beautiful national parks, or you can join your fellow classmates on a trip to Sedona or Disneyland. Learn more about our travel programs here.
• Mentoring: All first-year Barrett students have an upper-division student mentor who will send you regular, timely information about Barrett resources, deadlines, and opportunities. These mentors will also offer regular events where you can connect with other first-year, Barrett students. We encourage you to take advantage of this resource, as these students are well positioned to offer you tips and tricks for how to make the most of your Barrett experience.
• Programming and events: We have honors student programming unique to all four campuses, though you are welcome and encouraged to attend Barrett activities at any campus. There are multiple ways to stay informed, including the primary Honors-L email listserv or connect with us on social media for the most up to date information. Also, be sure to check All Barrett Events for information about our many Barrett events, organized under the following six pillars: Academic, Personal, and Professional Enhancement, & Professional Enhancement, Arts and Creative Expression, Leadership, Community Action & Service, Connections and Belonging, Cultural Inclusion and Experience, and Wellness and Happiness.
• Leadership: You will find that there are a variety of Barrett Student Organizations through which you can build your Barrett experience, learn new things, hone your leadership skills, and explore your passions. Barrett students start clubs, serve as Community Assistants in the residence halls, hold positions in ASU’s Undergraduate Student Government, work as tutors in the First Year Success Center on campus or in Barrett or other offices at ASU. This is the best way to build important relationships with staff, learn about the operations of a unit at the university, and feel connected to the honors community!
• Service: Barrett partners with student and community organizations to serve multiple populations including local refugees, homeless families, our local schools, hospitals and other beneficiaries. Learn more about how honors faculty, staff and students serve with opportunities listed daily in the honors digest.

In sum, take advantage of what we offer to make sure you have an excellent experience. Attend events, meet new people, ask questions, and explore the resources you have in us by getting to know your new Barrett family of students, faculty, and staff in this very strong honors community. We want you to know we are here to support you in directing your intellectual and emotional energy into an undergraduate experience of meaning, depth and contribution. We look forward to meeting you very soon at Fall Welcome!

All best wishes,

Dr. Kristen J. Hermann
Vice Dean
Barrett, The Honors College
Arizona State University

At Barrett, many students use their college years to pursue opportunities such as study abroad, undergraduate research, foreign language learning, public service, and leadership development. ONSA helps ASU students pursue fully funded opportunities during college and after graduation, while also helping students think intentionally about their goals, values, and long-term impact.

Barrett students regularly earn competitive awards like the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which offers year-long opportunities to teach, study, or conduct research in countries around the world. (If you have toured the Tempe or Downtown Phoenix campuses, you may have seen the ONSA “Wall of Fame,” which celebrates ASU’s many Fulbright recipients.) Historically, ASU has been one of the nation’s most successful universities for Fulbright awards and has been named a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for 20 of the past 22 years.

While programs like Fulbright are often longer-term goals, there are many exciting opportunities available to first- and second-year students as well. As a Barrett student, you might…

• Spend a summer at a British university through the UK Summer Institutes program, like Barrett student Preston Baer is doing,
• Study a critical foreign language like Russian or Swahili through the Critical Language Scholarship,
• Conduct STEM research in Germany over the summer through the DAAD-RISE program, or
• Study in Canada for a semester through the Killam Fellowship, which supports student exchange between the U.S. and Canada, like Sarah Saavedra and Taylor Oddonetto did.

Many students first connect with ONSA during their first year, even if they have never studied abroad, conducted research, or applied for competitive programs before. You do not need to have everything figured out yet. The best way to begin is simply to stay curious and start exploring opportunities early.

A few easy ways to get started:

Read the ONSA Weekly Bulletin
As a new Barrett student, you’ll automatically receive our weekly newsletter with upcoming deadlines, info sessions, and featured opportunities. Look for it every Tuesday!

Explore Our Database
Learn more about the 100+ awards we support at onsa.asu.edu. Identify awards that match your interests and ambitions so that ONSA can help you create a four-year plan.

Schedule an Exploratory Advising Appointment
Once you’ve settled in, meet with an ONSA advisor to discuss your interests, goals, and the kinds of experiences that you want to pursue during college. You can schedule an advising appointment anytime at onsa.asu.edu.

We are excited to support your journey at ASU and look forward to working with you in the years ahead.

Warm regards,
 
Kyle Mox, PhD
Associate Dean for National Scholarships
Director, Lorraine W. Frank Office of National Scholarships Advisement
Teaching Assistant Professor
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University