LYNCHBURG — Motlow State Community College recently announced that Jenna Caviezel is the new Director of the College’s Honors Program. Caviezel began serving at Motlow in 2012. In that time, she has taught English and Honors English Courses. She played a vital role in the launch of the Motlow Writing Center and now serves as Director of Tutoring in addition to her new role as Director of the Honors Program.
Motlow’s Honors Program incorporates innovative teaching methods; projects; and experiential learning opportunities, such as field trips, to make learning a more engaging experience. Qualifying students can also earn a $1,000 scholarship for each of their four semesters to offset additional college expenses and lessen financial hurdles.
“The Honors Program motto is ‘I will find a way or make one.’ It embodies this motto by presenting academic struggle to students in a productive way rather than as a barrier. Honors students know that encountering something too difficult to do easily is an opportunity to grow rather than an obstacle,” Caviezel said.
Honors students also benefit from this enhanced college experience by having a strong community of students and faculty at their disposal. Taking classes with the same group of people and the same professors encourages academic as well as personal growth throughout their time at Motlow. Building a community while in college is one of the biggest challenges for many students, so the Honors Program works to make that challenge easier by fostering student belonging.
The Honors Program student lounges on the Moore County and Smyrna campuses will move into the same area as the Tutoring Centers so that student relationships will not only be fostered in the Honors Program but also within the Tutoring Center. Many Honors students become peer tutors, and Caviezel hopes that the overlap between the two departments will increase while she is in this position. Four out of Motlow’s five locations have on-ground tutoring centers for students to visit when in need of academic assistance; additionally, all students have access to online tutoring via Motlow’s Writing Center and Math Lab and via Motlow’s partnership with NetTutor.
“I hope to foster inter-campus collaboration between students and faculty as we are separated by both campuses and departments. Former Honors Directors Dr. Scott Cook, Dr. Meagan McManus, John Hart, and Nathan Sweeton have left me with very big shoes to fill, but I am thankful for all the work they have done so far and to be able to continue their work alongside Donavon King, Administrative Assistant for the Honors Program,” Caviezel added.
The spring 2024 semester saw 105 Motlow students engaged in Honors coursework. In the 2024 commencement ceremony, 41 of the graduating students had taken at least one Honors class, and 10 students graduated with full Honors. To learn more about the program and its many additional benefits, visit Motlow.edu/honors or contact [email protected].•
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