Synthesis Essay

Megan Narveson
HONRS 475
Dr. Leah White
April 8, 2024
Synthesis Essay
In high school I was invited to be a part of the National Honors Society which initially
piqued my interest in joining the Honors Program at MSU. When I was officially asked to join
the program, it seemed like a reasonable next step because of my high school experiences in this
department. Although reflecting on experiences I’ve had because of my involvement in the
Honors Program has been challenging at times, I do believe it has shaped me into a better
student, athlete, and overall person. Once I realized that the reflections were a way to make me
think deeper about the experiences I was having, the papers didn’t seem quite as difficult or
tedious to write. Being a member of the MSU Honors Program has pushed me to have
experiences outside of my comfort zone.
Sometimes growth happens when you least expect it and without reflecting on
experiences it can be difficult to understand where you learn certain skills. I can confidently say
the development and application experiences I have completed through the Honors Program have
helped me grow in a variety of ways. In my life before college, I always considered myself to be
a follower. Leading and speaking in front of other people has never been a strong quality of mine
and I never considered this to be a skill that could be learned. I always thought that either you
had that talent, or you didn’t and there was no changing it. Two experiences during my first year
of college have helped me realize that leadership skills can be learned and practiced. While
hosting a recruit I learned how to be confident in my knowledge and turn to others for help when
I needed it. Confidence is a major part of leading as people will trust you more if you know what
you’re talking about. Part of being a leader is being resourceful and knowing who to turn to for
answers when you don’t have them yourself.
Furthermore, I gained leadership experience by being a part of SAAC and by leading a
Bible study. Being a part of SAAC has taught me that my voice matters and that I should speak
up when I have an idea because it may be valuable to the cause. While being a member of SAAC
is a form of leadership, I am given instructions by our leadership committee on what information
to bring back to my team. Leading a Bible study for athletes has incorporated both confidence
and organizational skills into my leadership toolbox by pushing me out of my comfort zone.
There is a lot more freedom in this experience because I am the sole leader of the Bible study. I
got to pick my target audience (athletes) and was trusted in doing my own research and choosing
passages to follow throughout the study. I had mentors I could lean on, but at the end of the day I
got to research a variety of different styles of studies and pick one that I thought the athletes
would relate to the most. Two years ago, I would’ve never considered myself to be qualified for
either of these roles but now I believe in the abilities I’ve accumulated through these
experiences.
Research has always made me think of putting in effort to educate others, I thought it was
a task that I would leave to the experts. But through completing the Professional Standards
Critique and my current research project with Dr. Albers, I have learned that research takes place
in so many ways. It doesn’t have to just be analyzing a bunch of data, it is accumulating results
from a larger population to understand a conclusion. Through the Professional Standards Critique
I learned important aspects to an effective interview such as asking open ended questions. This is
important to gaining background information and details regarding their answer. I applied this
knowledge in my research project with Dr. Albers when we were creating our survey for student
athletes and mental health. When coming up with questions it was important to word them in a
way that would allow the participant to include significant information without encouraging
them to go off on unrelated tangents. It was also crucial to consider whether information the
question was asking for would sacrifice the anonymity of the survey. There are many details to
consider when conducting research. Since I worked with a professor and another student I felt
like I was leaning on others quite a bit so my leadership skills weren’t used as much as I
would’ve liked. However, because I am in the busiest semester I have had with my new job,
internship, and track and field, working with another student made this research easier to pursue.
Going into the Honors Program I was very nervous about the intercultural engagement
competency because I have always surrounded myself with people, I am similar to. I didn’t quite
understand the intercultural piece because I felt out of place in an environment different than
what I am used to. Classes like REHAB110W helped me to step into the shoes of someone else
and understand their life. Through this process I learned more about proper terminology when
speaking with people with disabilities. I learned the importance of using person-first language as
well as asking questions. Many individuals preferred that others ask them questions rather than
simply assuming the answer. During my intercultural engagement application experience with
the Friendship Family Program and my Small Group Personal Training class I was once again
pushed out of my comfort zone. Not only did it push the boundaries of my knowledge of other
cultures, but it also pushed me to grow my knowledge of how research is used in my future
career. Before putting together a training program I had to research ways to test his overall
fitness to know how to build an effective training program for him. In both these experiences I
worked with international students and struggled with knowing the extent of our differences. For
example, I worried about unknowingly saying something offensive. As I got to know these two
individuals better, I learned that asking the awkward questions was more beneficial than not
asking anything at all. This way I got to learn about their culture and share about mine as well.
Overall, all three of these competencies have helped shape me into the person I am as I
prepare to graduate from college. I have grown in so many areas, both in and out of my comfort
zone. Areas that I wouldn’t’ve touched if not for the MSU Honors Program.

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Megan Narveson

Dr. Leah White

department. Although reflecting on experiences I’ve had because of my involvement in the

experiences outside of my comfort zone.

answers when you don’t have them yourself.

Furthermore, I gained leadership experience by being a part of SAAC and by leading a

is a form of leadership, I am given instructions by our leadership committee on what information

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