Honors student works to create an inclusive community
As an intercultural development intern, junior links two programs that students value.
Janel Shoun-Smith | 615.966.7078 |
Expanding student perspectives to a global view has always been a fundamental goal of the Honors College program. Combining in-depth topics and different outlooks is the key to becoming a great scholar.
The Honors College and the Office of Intercultural Development have worked to develop a partnership to encourage on-campus students, not just incoming freshmen, to apply to the honors program, thus drawing more minority applicants.
This year, those selection policies continue and the Honors College is proud that honors student, Schyler Jones, a junior Spanish history and international affairs major from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is also serving as an intern in the OID office.
“This internship was developed to provide intentional leadership development for our students. It creates an opportunity for students to gain leadership experience, promote cultural awareness, encourage unity and maintain open lines of communication.” said Candace Williams, director of community life who is over student organizations. “As official student representatives for OID, they are able to drive student engagement on a peer-to-peer level which is extremely impactful.”
Jones has been involved in OID as a student for the past three years. What started for her as a safe place with great events, quickly turned into a passion with goals she wanted to cultivate.
“I have enjoyed my involvement with the OID since my freshman year. It is a unique place and I have loved getting to meet so many new people,” said Jones. “So when the time came to be an intern, I knew I wanted to be a bigger part of fostering inclusivity on campus.”
As an intern, she acts as a student representative. Jones works hard to communicate the student body voice through the Student Government Association and the Student Activities Board. She creates Instagram posts, coordinates events (such as the recent Hispanic Heritage Month events including salsa dance lessons and food give-aways), and is involved with the OID breakout chapel service, Faith and Culture. She also helps with a social media campaign to focus on sharing the beauty of a new country each week called Cultural Compass.
Jones noted that she has learned a lot about how to better understand where others are coming from through her experience. She stressed the importance of listening and learning from what others have to say.
Jones believes her involvement in both OID and the Honors College benefits students involved in both programs.
“Both the OID and the Honors College are all about expanding your perspectives. The OID has taught me a lot about coming into new things and not centering yourself. As honors students, we can better learn how to not keep ourselves central. We can learn how to focus on other worldviews,” she said.
“Sometimes non-minority students feel like they cannot get involved in OID, so my involvement in the OID helps others know that they can do it too. The OID can teach you so much about how to listen and understand people better. But most importantly, it can teach you how to be a better ally.”
Jones has a lot of other accolades and diverse cultural experiences as well. Foreign languages are another one of her passions as she holds a Qualifi level 5 teaching English as a foreign language certification through the TEFL Academy. Jones also completed a Maymester in Spain, serving as an intern in a hospital, as well as a full semester abroad in Florence, Italy, to further observe and learn different languages.
She worked in Lipscomb Admissions, writer for the Lumination Network, is a leader in UNICEF and maintains a 4.0 GPA. As a Lipscomb trustee scholar who attended a Central Magnet High School, involvement in the honors program is second nature to her. “Growing up, I always had it ingrained in me to push harder and do my best, especially academically,” Jones said.
Jones has loved all of the different opportunities she has experienced in the Honors College, including field trips to local cultural establishments, personal connections with faculty and students and scholarship opportunities, she said. Getting to know Paul Prill (now-retired director of the Honors College) and taking advantage of the honors house, are among her favorite experiences.
Due to Covid-19, Jones is currently learning remotely. “It’s been hard, but I’ve learned how to keep going and how to reach out to others. It’s about learning how to get through a difficult time through communication and how to overcome obstacles.”
Despite these difficulties, she is still finding ways to spread cultural diversity awareness among her honors friends. She hopes that the Honors College and OID can plan some in-person events together in the future. “Since they have so many overlapping goals, it would be a great opportunity,” she said.