Mount Students Present at Honors Symposium
11/5/2020
Meet our Honors panelists, presenters, and researchers
Mount students do extraordinary things—and part of many of our students’ success lies at the center of the College’s Honors Program.
Exceptionally motivated students benefit from this rigorous and rewarding program, which provides a challenging and intellectually stimulating academic environment for high-achieving individuals in pursuit of knowledge. And on November 5, Mount Saint Vincent’s Honors Program hosted its annual symposium in the President’s Reception Room.
“The Honors Symposium is a great way to bring together Honors students and faculty to recognize the work done in the interdisciplinary, team-taught Honors courses from the previous year,” said Stephanie Pietros, Associate Professor of English and Director of the Honors Program. “These courses are the unique core at the heart of the Honors Program, and students undertake original research projects in which they often bring their own interests to bear on the course material. The Symposium provides students with the experience of presenting their work to the wider academic community beyond their individual classes. This experience helps prepare them for future professional and graduate endeavors.”
The Symposium featured two panels, the first titled “Enumerating Arguments about Health,” including Anton Kuzmin ’23, a business administration and data analytics major and Renee Geanina Gail Giron ’23, a nursing major with a Philippine Studies minor. The second panel, “Exploring the Tudor World…and Our Own” featured Jennifer Stern ’22, an accounting major; Mykah Absuelo ’22, a nursing major; and Renaenia Pangan ’22, a history and communication major with a minor in Philippine Studies.
Additionally, Angelique Berroya ’24, Nevaeh Boyrie ’24, Gabriela Galarza ’24, Valbona Metaliaj ’24, and Wantoe Wantoe ’22 also presented during the panel discussions chaired by Associate Professor of History David Gallo and Assistant Professor of English Matthew Leporati. The Honors Symposium began with an opening ceremony led by Lynne Bongiovanni, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean of the College, and Associate Professor of English.
Renee Geanina Gail Giron ’23
Renee Geanina Gail Giron ’23, a recipient of the Corazon Aquino Scholarship, presented the research, “From Coffee, With Affection: The Lesser Known Benefits of The Widely Consumed Drink.” This was her first time presenting at the Honors Symposium. While she admits nerves nearly got the best of her, she conquered them when she realized that presenting would be a great opportunity to grow beyond the limits of her comfort zone and experience something new.
“When I was choosing a topic for my research paper, I really didn’t think that I’d write about coffee,” she said. Her high school friend inspired her to conduct research on the health benefits of the consumption of large amounts of coffee. “Back in high school, my friend would drink coffee not only in the morning but throughout the day,” she said. “Thinking back to my high school days, I was never really reliant on coffee or caffeinated drinks, fearing that I’d get addicted to them like my friend was. It wasn’t until college that I started drinking more coffee.”
Renee decided to research the health benefits of high coffee consumption, focusing on mainly three widely-known health conditions: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
Anton Kuzmin ’23
Anton Kuzmin ’23 conducted his honors research on the “Work and Education from Home During COVID-19—Is It Effective and Healthy?”
“The upcoming Symposium is a chance to share my unique points of view on classic research topics,” Anton said. “The Honors Program at the Mount is unique because it gathers highly motivated students in an challenging environment where the most bold and groundbreaking ideas are being shared and developed.”
He first found the topic while studying during quarantine. “I was wondering how my classmates and professors took the rapid change in the education process,” Anton said. “While a lot of the students didn’t even notice the transition to online classes, some of the professors experienced difficulties in changing their teaching methods. I decided to take a closer look at the effects of telecommuting on work and education process.”
Mykah Absuelo ’22
Mykah Absuelo ’22, the author of “From Fit to Filled Out: A Study on Henry VIII’s Overall Health,” was thrilled to share the knowledge and insights that she has gained through her research.
“My study was based on Henry the Eighth’s declining health and what may have caused the behavioral changes in his later life,” she said. “I was initially intrigued by his eating habits and the lack of adequate healthcare in the Tudor period. After further research, in which I was led through his life health history, I realized how certain events, genetic patterns, and illnesses may have influenced his reign and chose this connection as a main focus of my presentation.”
Renaenia Pangan ’22
Renaenia Pangan ’22, the author of “Reactions to Epidemics Over Time: A Comparison and Analysis of Reactions to the Sweating Sickness and Novel Coronavirus,” was excited about the opportunity to share her research with the Mount community.
“I feel so blessed to be presenting at the Symposium,” she said. “It is such an honor to present my research on a current issue and connect it to a past epidemic (The Sweating Sickness) as well as give an informed argument on the reactions of these epidemics.”
Her research compares the reactions of both the sweating sickness, an epidemic that plagued Tudor England in the 16th Century, and the coronavirus. She focuses on the reactions of health professionals, psychological reactions, and reactions by respective government officials during the time periods these diseases were happening. Despite the five hundred year difference between the two epidemics.
“I contend that while medical practices have changed since Tudor England, the actions that medical professionals undertake when reacting to any disease, the psychological reactions to disease and the reactions of government leaders are similar in Tudor England and in the present day,” Renaenia said. “It is important for me to be in the Honors Program because it has been one of the best parts of my college experience as a whole. Being in this program has given me the opportunity to take classes that I never would have taken and to meet people that I never would have met. The things that I have learned in these classes and the experiences I had with my Honors cohort are ones that I never want to forget.”
Jennifer Stern ’22
Jennifer Stern ’22 is the author of “The Successes and Failures of Thomas Wolsey’s Fiscal Policies in Tudor England from 1522-1525,” as well as an Honors Program Coordinator, which gave her the opportunity to work on organizing the event with Mykah and Dr. Pietros.
She wrote the paper and presentation for her final assignment in her sophomore Honors course “Topics: The Tudor Reformations,” which focused on the Tudor Reformations in England. “When I learned about King Henry VIII’s excessive spending habits, I was intrigued about the financial policies that were enacted, which were in large part put into place by the Lord Chancellor of England, Thomas Wolsey,” Jennifer said. “After spending about a month researching, I discovered that Wolsey’s financial policies were successful in the short run, as he was able to implement new revenue generating methods, but unsuccessful in the long run due to the failure of the Amicable Grant.”
“It is important to me to be a part of the Honors Program because it allows me to take specialized courses that challenge me academically and be exposed to others with similar drives and ambitions,” Jennifer continued. “I feel that the Program has allowed me to evolve and progress as both a student and person.”
Jennifer considers the Honors Program special, but she particularly appreciates the community of Honors students at the Mount. “Being surrounded by like-minded individuals that are extremely understanding and supportive of my academic goals has allowed me to work towards reaching my full potential and has been one of the highlights of my college experience thus far.”
And Honors students feel strongly about the importance of being in the Mount’s Honors Program.
“In my opinion, I think it is important to be part of the Honors Program because you are able to grow and challenge yourself,” Renee said. “If you asked me last year, I would never have thought that I would be presenting my own paper. This goes to show that the Honors Program opens up many avenues and opportunities for you to take advantage of. The Honors Program at the Mount is special because you are surrounded by like-minded and motivated students. Although you are in a small classroom with other Honors students that have different majors, you are still able to engage with and learn from one another.”
“In the Honors Program, you will never feel alone thanks to the huge support you receive from your professors and fellow Honors students,” she continued. As an Honors student, I will admit that the Honors Program is quite intense. Yet, I admire how the Honors Program teaches us to ‘think out of the box’ and push further to give not only 100%, but 110% in everything!”
Mykah appreciates being an Honors student because she enjoys learning about various topics in the Honors seminars and discovering how they relate to her own interests and life. She also likes making connections and being able to work with a supportive group of students and faculty that push her to challenge herself and improve.
“I believe that the Mount’s Honors Program has charm in our smaller-sized groups, open minds, and learning environments that induce growth as a team and as individuals,” she said. “I believe that the faculty and their passion in their subjects play an especially important role in making the Mount’s Honors Program experience memorable, enjoyable, and fruitful.”
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of professional accomplishment, service, and leadership in the 21st century.