Members of the Los Medanos College Honors Program bonded with each other and with honors faculty at the annual Honors Retreat at Camp Tuolumne, Sept. 13-15. The event featured icebreakers, team-building games, and other activities.
Astronomy professor Katie Berryhill hosted a stargazing event Friday night. Later, everyone sat around the campfire and enjoyed delicious s’mores. Honors professors Star Steers and Alex Sterling hosted seminars and workshops for students on Saturday. Sterling used the time to educate those attending on election integrity and the current issues with democracy in the United States.
During free time given by staff students played games, swam, and took part in various team sports. Staff also hosted a “Bad Poetry” contest, marking 2024 as the 19th year they’ve hosted this event at the retreat.
Honors members traveled to Yosemite National Park on Sunday to hike the famous Mist Trail.
“I really liked my time at Yosemite and doing the hike,” said Tenisha Manoharan, Honors vice president. “Even though it was pretty hard going up, it was still fun.”
Manoharan also reflected on how nice it was to bond with her fellow students and how helpful the Honors Program has been for her.
“It’s an excellent way to show that you’re taking your education seriously,” Manoharan said about the program. “I feel like with Honors, a lot of the students here are super dedicated, you’re already in an environment where you’re set to succeed, so that’s nice that way.”
Vanessa Cabanas Mendez, a new Honors student, spoke about her experiences with the program.
“I was a bit hesitant [about the retreat] at first, but it was really fun to get to know more people,” she said. “I felt very included, and everyone was very friendly, and we just had a very fun time.”
Cabanas Mendez also discussed what she enjoys about the Honors Program and what she looks forward to about it in the future.
“You create new friendships that you didn’t have before, and they can help you in so many ways. And I think that it’s important for you to get involved in things like [the Honors Program], even though they may not seem as significant, but they’re important,” she said.
Cabanas Mendez also highlighted the importance of the program.
“I would recommend it because I think it’s a fun experience. You get to learn many new things, and you also have a lot more opportunities. You don’t lose anything if you enter the Honors Program, and there’s so much more to gain.”
Chijioke Onyeagucha, officer of the Honors Program since 2023, shared much about his experience in the program and at the retreat.
“I had a lot of fun. I met new people, especially [those] in my actual honors classes that I didn’t know before. So, it’s nice being able to have more of a community that I’m a part of,” he said.
Onyeagucha explained how the retreat helped him bond with his community.
“Even as officer, I continue to get familiar and settle into the Honors program, and I feel like it’s such a good program we have at our school.”
Onyeagucha valued the non-academic time with his fellow program members and reflected on how the program benefits his academic career.
“It just shows that you’re taking your community college time seriously. It shows you’re involved in the community. So, I feel like it just enriches your time as a student,” he said.
“I get a lot of help from my [program] counselors to help me plan my education. I’ve met a lot of mentors in the Honors Program. I feel like it just gives you a more direct approach to an avenue of people that are here to help you succeed, help you get to the next level. So I feel like I’ve been granted access to them through the Honors Program,” he said.
If you’re interested in joining the LMC Honors Program, contact Jennifer Saito at [email protected]
— Experience staff members contributed to this report.