Shoreline Community College honors students selected to present at Western Regional Honors Council Conference

Ari Dapra (left) and Brandie Abshear (right) presenting their research projects at the Western Regional Honors Conference (WRHC). Photo courtesy SCC.

Two students in the Honors College at Shoreline Community College, Brandie Abshear and Ari Dapra, were selected to present their research projects at the Western Regional Honors Conference (WRHC) in April. 

WRHC represents 74 college honors programs that are primarily at four-year institutions, including the University of California, Davis, University of Southern California, University of Washington, and Washington State University.

The presentations were based on year-long research projects the students conducted in the Research Track in The Honors College at Shoreline. 

Abshear’s project is a comparison of 18th-century self-fashioning with modern celebrity culture, and she worked with faculty mentors Davis Oldham and Terry Taylor. Dapra’s project is a comprehensive look at issues related to police reform, working with faculty mentor Brooke Zimmers.

“It is a distinct honor for these students from The Honors College at Shoreline to be selected to present alongside university seniors,” said Professor Terry Taylor. 

“Their work was indistinguishable from the other more advanced students from selective honors programs at major universities. It represents, in our view, independent verification of the extremely high quality of our honors program,” he added.

The Research Track is designed to offer a challenging curriculum for honors students planning to transfer to four-year colleges and universities, or for those who simply wish to deepen their college experience. 

Students have the opportunity to work on in-depth projects in specific academic disciplines and to create a community of scholars with whom to share their ideas. The Honors College encourages students to work closely with faculty to develop a research agenda for the second year of study.

The College first launched an honors program in 2006 with a generous gift from Walter and Denise Day, and it has been sustained over the years by faculty who volunteer their time to serve the program and mentor individual honors students. 

The Honors College is part of the National Collegiate Honors Council and the Western Regional Honors Council.

Any new or continuing student at Shoreline is eligible to apply for admission into the Honors College. Applications for fall quarter are now being accepted through September 24, 2021. Learn more about the Honors College.

06/15/2021 Correction to names of faculty mentors.