Audrey Bally and Jason Brugman had life-changing experiences in Germany.
Bally was in an exchange program in 2014, and spent two months with a German family. Another girl lived with Bally’s family in France.
Brugman was in an International Student Leadership Institute in 2015 with students from 13 different countries.
Both said the experience changed their lives, helping them grow intellectually and personally.
Their time in Germany was the topic of their essays as applicants in the rigorous process to becoming inaugural students at the Batten Honors College at Virginia Wesleyan University.
They were two of 40 students accepted into the pilot program, which held its matriculation ceremony Sunday at the new Greer Environmental Sciences Center.
“This is a defining moment in our history,” said Virginia Wesleyan president Scott Miller.
He said discussions about the honors college began in 2016 with university staff and trustee emerita Jane Batten, for whom the college is named.
“Jane envisioned a program for academically gifted students whose concerns for the human condition included an awareness of the world’s environmental challenges,” Miller said.
There were 3,000 prospects during the selection process, Miller said. Then the school received 2,000 formal inquiries. Miller said that was narrowed to 192 applicants. Last winter, 71 were invited to the campus for group and one-on-one interviews.
Brugman learned he got into the program in March.
“It was just incredible to know I would be with the rest of my peers who had such a passion for learning,” he said.
It took a little longer for Bally to get the news – she lives in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, France. She found out in May.
According to Virginia Wesleyan’s website, students in the program will “explore diverse disciplines from the humanities, social sciences, mathematics and natural sciences.”
The curriculum will include small, seminar-style classes that cover a variety of topics and will help students develop analysis, communication and collaboration skills.
Students also will live together in the Honor Village where they will discuss global issues and participate in activities together, Miller said.
In four years, Miller said, the program will grow to 160 students. His hope that this inaugural class will be a “transformational group” that will attract not only other competitive students, but also top faculty that will enhance the university.
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