George F. Whitworth Honors Program

Honors Life at Whitworth

Recent:

Chloe Stelly

Since going through the Education Department here at Whitworth, I have become increasingly interested in the academic achievement of our students here in Washinton. Education has changed so drastically over the years, and the hope is that we are still meeting the needs of our students in an ever-shifting society. Since Covid, state testing has dropped and has continued to do so which raises concern; how can our children get the best education when standards are so demanding? Is the education we are providing right now the education our students need? I wanted to study the effects that state standards have on primary children and whether or not an increase in academic performance is happening in our schools. The reason for this project is to study the impact of our state standards on the growth and development of our students.

Read More »
April 29, 2026

Jaylee Graham

Gen Z is arguably the most politically outspoken generation in history. From social media activism to grassroots organizing, we aren’t afraid to use our voices to demand change. Yet, there’s a frustrating paradox at the heart of our democracy: despite being the most vocal, 18–24-year-olds consistently remain in the demographic with the lowest voter turnout. This project is driven by one central question: What do we actually need to do to increase young voter turnout?
I believe that education is at the root of many of the systemic problems we see in the world today. If we want to change the trajectory of our society, we have to look at where our civic identity is formed. For the vast majority of Americans, high school is the last time they will be part of a formal, universal educational environment. This makes the high school classroom our final and most critical opportunity to reach every future citizen. If we aren’t using that time to effectively teach the voting process and the importance of civic agency, we are leaving the health of our democracy to chance.

Read More »
April 28, 2026

Evan Galle

Many college students arrive on campus without a clear picture of their semester-to-semester education actually costs or how to manage it. Watching Whitworth University peers navigate financial stress often without adequate tools or guidance, inspired me to complete this project. A personalized budgeting spreadsheet built exclusively for Whitworth students

The central question driving this project was: how can a practical, student-financial tool be designed to make budgeting accessible, accurate, and actionable for Whitworth students specifically? I found that generic budgeting advice and one-size-fits-all templates fail to account for the unique situations Whitworth students face. Students are having to juggle the various fees associated with attending, the different room and board types, and the realities of student jobs that help the budget, this project addresses the gap directly.

Read More »
April 28, 2026

Mariia Yazepova

AI is changing more quickly than ethical norms can keep up, especially in the profession of journalism (Simon, 2024). Although AI tools increase productivity, professional journalism’s survival and credibility are at risk due to their unchecked use. The human-centered principles that support press integrity are being undermined by automated news writing, copyright violations, and algorithmic disinformation (Simon, 2024). This project will compare human-reported stories to AI-generated failures, look at the ethical consequences of generative AI in journalism, and offer solutions for responsible innovation. Raising awareness of these dangers and promoting AI integration that complements human journalists rather than replaces them are the main goals. I decided to focus on this topic because I want to work in journalism, where these developments will have a direct impact on my future writing. As someone just starting out in the industry, I’m worried about how a reliance on AI might change my field of communications, possibly decreasing chances for original writing and eroding accountability standards. However, I am aware of the advantages these tools provide when used appropriately. In order to make sure that future industry professionals like myself can have credibility and ethical storytelling in an increasingly automated media landscape, this project reflects my interest in helping find a balance where innovation supports integrity.

Read More »
April 28, 2026

Upcoming Opprotunities:

Jubilation Dance Ministry

Whitworth’s primary goal as an institution is to educate the ‘Mind and Heart’ of its students, but further than that, the Honors Program wants students to thrive in the world they are stepping into. A crucial part of that is in movement and education of the body, in addition to the trademarked ‘mind and heart.’

Read More »
December 1, 2025

Honors Peer Mentorship

There has been a new initiative within the Honors Program to emphasize peer mentorship. Within the last few weeks, Honors Junior and Senior mentors met with their underclassmen mentees.

Read More »
December 1, 2025

Script Literary Journal

Whitworth is the proud host of a literary journal called Script. Script is a completely student-run journal that has been producing editions since 1987, and this year’s edition is collecting submissions from several new categories.

Read More »
October 31, 2025

Internships:

Summer Fellowship Program

Whitworth’s Office of Church Engagement runs the Summer Fellowship Program, which places students with churches, camps, and nonprofits nationwide.

Read More »
November 13, 2024

On-Campus Spotlights:

Honors Peer Mentorship

There has been a new initiative within the Honors Program to emphasize peer mentorship. Within the last few weeks, Honors Junior and Senior mentors met with their underclassmen mentees.

Read More »
December 1, 2025

Script Literary Journal

Whitworth is the proud host of a literary journal called Script. Script is a completely student-run journal that has been producing editions since 1987, and this year’s edition is collecting submissions from several new categories.

Read More »
October 31, 2025

Banned Books Week 2025

The Whitworth Democracy Lab’s Banned Book Club hosted our 2025 Banned Books Week. Banned Books Week ran from Oct 5-11 this year. The Banned Book Club finished reading 1984 by George Orwell and initiated several projects on campus.

Read More »
October 22, 2025

More Than Just Language

When reading current or aged literature pieces, in Spanish, English, or any other language, the words we encounter in our readings can feel timeless or oddly foreign. The use of linguistic terms can tell the reader a lot – not just about the language itself, but about the period the piece was written in and how languages have evolved alongside their culture, class, and other impacting aspects.

Read More »
May 16, 2025

Study Abroad:

Love and Healing

Along with a group of thirteen Whitworth students, I traveled to Guatemala, unaware of the profound impact this experience would have on us.

Read More »
February 6, 2025

Jan Term in Oxford

The class ‘Oxford & Christian Imagination’ sent Whitworth students abroad this Jan Term to Oxford, England. Olivia Blank spoke to me about her experience

Read More »
January 25, 2025

New Zealand Perspectives

New Zealand Perspectives Honors Junior Megan Hirasaki has been in New Zealand since July on a study abroad trip focusing on seeing viewpoints outside of

Read More »
September 28, 2024

Research:

Megan Hirasaki

When I learned about bicultural perspectives in psychology at Massey University, I was asked to write a critical reflection about connecting the Māori concepts in psychology to my future career. As I researched previous studies and articles about Native Hawaiians for my critical reflection, I noticed that Native Hawaiian mental health research is limited, and some topics of current research include depression, health disparities, COVID, and the impacts cost of living; consequently, Native Hawaiians are often the most misrepresented in healthcare. According to McCubbin and Marsella (2009), Native Hawaiians have not only been excluded from health research but also have not been adequately supported financially when projects emphasize Native Hawaiians. Because of these systemic barriers behind research, Native Hawaiians deserve more attention in psychological research and need specific strategies on how to include their worldviews into the therapy room.

Read More »
April 27, 2026

Jacob Soo

One of the main reasons that kids quit sports is because of poor coaching. When coaches are hired, they are often not properly trained. This project aims to fill a gap in the research when it comes to youth sports coaching and training and can be a valuable piece for coaching journals and local athletic associations. This project also sheds light on how youth sports coaches could be more comprehensively trained and can be valuable to any parent seeking a better athletic experience for their child. This project does not only focus on the basic skills needed for youth sports coaches, like CPR and first aid, but also on more complex skills like emotional control and creating an inclusive space for young athletes.

Read More »
April 27, 2026

Lizzy Bradford

Families that have children who experience Down Syndrome are confronted with many demanding needs in order to help their child thrive in today’s society. Unfortunately, several limitations can interfere with getting help for these families who are in need of additional services including therapy for their children. This proposed project aims to decrease the disadvantages and clarify the resources and research available to them. It hopes to combat the limited access to physical therapy, by producing a social media page with extensive resources, up-to-date research, and exercise videos related to improving quality of life and development for children with Down Syndrome along with their families. What inspired my project was my interest in pediatric physical therapy as well as my close relationships with people who have Down Syndrome. I have had wonderful opportunities to volunteer at Down Syndrome Success Organizations and have learned about techniques that help further the development of children with Down Syndrome. I have seen firsthand how much joy they bring to the lives around them and how many stressors they (and their families) can encounter in everyday life. Even though I am not a licensed Physical Therapist yet, and thus can’t provide any actual therapy, I hope that my social media page will help clarify the research and resources available for families who need it.

Read More »
April 27, 2026

Kaitlyn Hawker

With the legalization of gay marriage in 2015, legal queer families entered the societal view. However, normalization cannot happen without positive visibility, which usually comes in the form of representation in the media society consumes. Queer characters in movies, tv shows, and adult books have appeared for decades, sometimes even centuries, but limiting queer representation to adult-only content does more harm than good. It teaches children and the culture at large that queer stories are explicit, shameful, and not appropriate.

Read More »
April 27, 2026