Inspiring Confidence and Compassion: Honors 2000

By: Amanda Hall, Honors College Freshman

As a freshman in the Honors College at East Carolina University, I am currently enrolled in Honors 2000. This class challenges Honors College freshmen to embrace leadership and leave an organization better than how we found it. Basically, the Honors College freshmen are assigned an organization in the community based off of an interest survey.

Amanda (back row, third from left) with her group

Working in groups, we are able to develop a plan to present to the organization and complete it! Personally, I believe this is an incredibly unique opportunity to make a change and truly affect the lives of others. At first, the idea of working with adults and offering my opinions, which could be rejected, scared me! At the same time, I felt excited and knew that I would be better prepared for the real world due to the professionalism and organization required for the course. After beginning this project, I am more confident in my ideas, and I enjoy working with my group members.

Although the development of leadership through a volunteer project is a major component of the class, speakers and lectures also add to the course. Listening to leaders who demonstrate success and are capable of inspiring other people are excellent sources to learn from. The speakers come from a variety of backgrounds and hold multiple vocations, which provides insight for students interested in a particular field. In high school, I attended the same mundane classes and questioned how the subject would apply to the real world. In Honors 2000, it is clear how every lecture relates to life, and I am always surprised by what is discussed in class. The Honors 2000 curriculum is truly fascinating.

One quote stands out to me that Dr. Herdman, my Honors 2000 professor, shared with the class. The quote, “Successful people establish the habit of doing things unsuccessful people do not like to do.” After hearing this quote for the first time, I let it sink in for a few minutes. Eventually, I recognized what most people dread or fail to complete. To me, this meant that I needed to maintain my study habits and give up a few hours a week for volunteering. So far, I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, participated on the club soccer team, contributed to the volunteer committee of ECU’s Dance Marathon, am a member of the Honors Marketing Committee, and accomplished progress with my organization for the freshmen honors project. However, I realize that this is not enough. I want to do more. I need to serve more than just the campus community and the city of Greenville. Serving more than just the area of Greenville is my ultimate goal. Hopefully, I will be able to work towards this as I develop leadership skills through the completion of this class offered by the ECU Honors College.