Honors Transfer Program
Fall, 2010
Fall, 2010
What’s up With Honors
Rio Hondo College Honors Student
wins TAP Scholarship, Physics Honor
Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. A Physics major and
Honors Program graduate, Jared received a $5000 TAP
Scholarship to study Physics at UCLA. TAP, otherwise
known as the Transfer Alliance Program, provides guaranteed priority consideration for admission at UCLA. Jared
also was honored as a member of JPLUS (Jet Propulsion
Laboratory Undergraduate Scholar). He is now eligible to
take part in a unique training program that will prepare him
to apply for a summer research fellowship at either Caltech
or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena.
Proving that community college exists to serve students of any age, Rio Hondo Honors student Jared
Lodico was awarded with two prestigious honors in
the Spring. Jared, who began taking classes parttime at Rio Hondo at age 13 and completed his Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts by age 16,
recently received both a TAP scholarship to attend
UCLA and was named a JPLUS Scholar by the Jet
Contact Information:
Colin Young, Honors Coordinator
Martha De La Mora, Honors Counselor
“I was shocked to be awarded this honor. I didn’t even
know there was such a program as the JPLUS program until Dr. Priest informed me that he had recommended me
for it,” said Jared. “I am very grateful to all of my professors, especially Dr. Priest, for giving me this opportunity,
which will hopefully open new and exciting doors that will
help me later in life.”
While Jared deserves great congratulations for his impressive accomplishments, he also owes much of his success to
the guidance and teaching of his mother Keo-Jye, a longtime employee of Rio Hondo who home-schooled Jared
during and before his time at Rio Hondo. The Honors
Program wishes to congratulate Jared, Keo-Jye, and the
entire Lodico family. We know that Jared will be a great
success and serve as an example for others to aspire to.
Office: A221A
Office: A119
cyoung@riohondo.edu
mdelamora@riohondo.edu
Honors Transfer Program Welcomes New Coordinator
With Rebecca Green’s election as Rio Hondo’s Academic Senate President, a new coordinator has taken over the Honors Transfer Program. Colin Young, who teaches Political Science, is the new coordinator of the program. Young is
unique in that he may be the first Honors Transfer Student to coordinate an Honors Transfer Program in California.
He transferred from El Camino College in Torrance to UCLA in 1998 and can vouch for the fact that the Honors
Transfer Program route is the best way to transfer to the school of your dreams. His older brother followed the same
path to UCLA, so the Honors Transfer Program is a family affair to him. Welcome to Mr. Young!
Page 2
What’s Up With Honors
Counselor’s Corner
by Martha De La Mora
Business Economics and were not admitted because of the
The Importance of an “Alternate” Major for Fall extreme competition to get into those majors, you would be
2011
given a second review for your alternate major…that is… if
Honors Transfer Program students aspire to not only
complete the minimum requirements for transfer to the
university of their choice but to also have an edge over
other regular admissions applicants.
Once students have declared a major and have made
sure that they completed the major preparation, the last
thing on their mind is the idea of choosing an alternate
major.
Who wants to think of the remote possibility of not
being admitted to their number one choice?
It is very important to state an alternate major, particularly
for honors program students.
UCLA will grant an Honors Transfer Program applicant a second review for an alternate major in the College
of Letters and Science if the alternate major is a nonimpacted one. Other non-honors applicants do not get
this courtesy. For example, if you applied to Film and TV
or to
you stated one!
You can see me to discuss an alternate major, or visit the
Transfer Center for more information.
Prepare for the alternate major by indicating on your
application that you will be taking required courses by Spring
2011. You would have to complete that major preparation
in order to meet admissions requirements.
Also, if you apply to UCLA, remember to indicate that
you participated in TAP (Transfer Alliance Program). TAP
is the same as the Honors Transfer Program at Rio Hondo.
You can also include that in your personal statement.
Stating you participated in the program and listing an
alternate major will increase the likelihood of obtaining that
much awaited admissions offer.
Best of Luck to You!
Honors Transfer Society News
Hello Everyone! Welcome
interested Honors students.
The Honors Transfer Society (HTS) is an on-campus
club that works hand-inhand with the Honors program. We like to hold
events for our students and
were especially proud of
hosting an Earth Day event which showcased the importance of conserving energy. Club members also participate in
community service throughout the community. This year we will be focusing on
community service opportunities such as
working with the elderly, tutoring kids,
toy drives, and other service projects that
will make a difference in our community. Students wishing to be a part of HTS must have
a GPA of 3.0, attend an Honors orientation
meeting and be enrolled in at least one honors
class in the current academic year. There is
also a club dues of $10 per semester. This
year we are committed to working with different departments on campus to assist our
members. For example, we will be working
with the Financial Aid office to give our members the first word on
scholarships and working with the Transfer Center to make the
transferring process easier. We’re also looking forward to participating in the many club events on campus. If you have any questions, please email me at honorstransfersociety@yahoo.com. Our
meetings are Thursdays at 2PM in A215. Please join us!
- Carlos Flores—HTS President 2010/11
Congratulations to Alyssa Martinez and Tim Aguilar on being named to the
2010 Phi Theta Kappa All-California Academic Team, sponsored by the international honor society, Phi Theta Kappa. Way to go Alyssa and Tim!!
What’s Up With Honors
Page 3
An Honors Checklist
- Honors Counselor, Martha De La Mora makes the following suggestions:
To ensure you complete all requirements for the
HONORS PROGRAM, you are encouraged to follow
this pathway to success:
Read the description of the Honors Program at
www.riohondo.edu/honors
Apply to the program by completing the application found on the Honors Website.
Apply in November if you are planning to transfer the
following fall.
Call the counseling department in January to set up an
appointment for Program Certification.
Complete the online exit interview before May.
Attend an honors orientation meeting. A
meeting is available each month.
Make an appointment with the Transfer Center for
IGETC certification.
Meet with an Honors Counselor at least 2x each
semester.
Update your file completion form with the honors
counselor
If completing the program and transferring:
Apply for an AA by deadline. (Petition for
graduation).
Request official transcripts be mailed to the university
Enjoy the journey!
UC Irvine hosts annual Student Research Conference
Are you proud of the work you’ve done in your Honors
classes? Then you are encouraged to share what you’ve
learned, acquire some “professional” experience, and open
yourself up for additional awards and scholarships by being
a presenter at the 11th annual Honors Student Research
Conference on March 26, 2011! This is a tremendous
chance to gain recognition for your research and develop
the sorts of presentation skills that will be invaluable to you
as you attend a university, graduate school and beyond.
Even if you’re not quite ready to be a presenter this year,
consider attending as a participant to see the great work
your fellow Honors students are doing
across the state. As an extra added bonus—Rio Hondo will pay your registration costs! So, check your emails and/
or the Honors website at
www.riohondo.edu/honors for updates
on how to be a part of this exciting
event.
Thank You and Best of Luck to Rebecca Green
After four years of stellar service, Sociology Professor Rebecca
Green moved on from her position as Honors Program Coordinator in the Spring to assume the position of
Academic Senate President. Rebecca will be sorely
missed by students and faculty alike and was instrumental in the expansion of the Rio Hondo College
Honors Transfer Program. In combination with
the founder of the Honors Transfer Program, History Professor Ned Lazaro, and the program’s longtime counselor, Martha De La Mora, these three
individuals have taken the program from its humble
beginnings in the late 1990s to where it is today, as
hundreds of students have successfully transferred
to a wide variety of Cal States, UCs, and private universities.
“Coordinating the Honors Program has
been an incredible honor. I have
worked with the most amazing students
and faculty and know that this is the
best path to transfer to the school of
your dreams. I highly recommend that
Rio Hondo students aspire to join the
Honors Program.” Everyone affiliated
with the Honors Program would like to
Ms. Green for all of her hard work and
wish her the best in her future endeavors. Thanks Rebecca!
Honors Transfer Program
Spring 2011 Honors Course Offerings
ANTH 102H
Pfeiffer
TTH 11:15-12:40
ECON 102H
Mikalson
HIST 159H
ENG 201H
Arnold
W 7:00—10:10 PM
TH 7:00-10:10 PM LIT 102H
Reilly
MW 8:05—9:30
Lazaro
TTH 11:15-12:40
LIT 112BH
Garcia
MW 9:40—11:05
SOC 101H
Brutlag
TTH 8:05-9:40
LIT 145H
Osman
MW 2:20—3:45
PHIL 101H
Preston
TTH 8:05-9:40
LIT 146BH
Eckstrom
MW 11:15—12:40
HIST 143H
Valdivia
MW 9:40—11:15
MATH 130H
Esquivel
MW 11:15—1:20
ART 105H
Lewis
MW 12:50—2:15
SPAN 201H
De Los Santos TTH 9:00—11:05
ENG 201H
Freije
MW 12:50—2:15
Faculty Spotlight—Marie Eckstrom, English Professor
Just as students at Rio Hondo come from all walks of life, its faculty have very diverse backgrounds as well. Honors English Professor Marie Eckstrom began her eleventh year full-time at Rio
Hondo this fall. Ms. Eckstrom was born in Massachusetts and received her Bachelor’s Degree from Suffolk University in Boston. However, much of her love of English could probably be explained by the time she spent as a child in London, England, where she spent many of her formative years. She loves all things English, especially its literature. After graduating from Suffolk, Ms. Eckstrom made the long
trek to the West Coast. “After experiencing one year of the mild climate out here I
just stayed. I really liked the idea of not shoveling snow all winter, and besides I had
already given away my overcoat.”
Ms. Eckstrom received three Master’s Degrees, in Education, English Literature,
and English Composition, Language, and Rhetoric, from Cal State Northridge and Cal State L.A. After
teaching high school in Los Angeles and serving as a part-time instructor at various area community colleges, Ms. Eckstrom began her tenure at Rio Hondo. When asked what sparked her interest in language
and literature, Ms. Eckstrom stated that she loved history, traveling, and stories, so literature was one way
she could focus on all three.
Arguably no instructor teaches as many Honors classes at Rio Hondo as Ms. Eckstrom, as over the semesters she has taught Honors courses such as: Introduction to Linguistics, Exploring Authors, and British Literature. Asked why she loves teaching Honors classes so much, Ms. Eckstrom replied: “I love
working with bright, motivated, hard working students. And those are the students in our Honors program. Who wouldn’t love working with such students!” She believes that the best way for these students
to succeed is to “challenge yourselves, follow your passions, and don’t be afraid to take risks.” Thanks to
Ms. Eckstrom for all that she does for Rio Hondo Honors students!