Taylor-Crocker Honors Program

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Taylor-Crocker Honors Program

A program that offers unique opportunities from travel and networking to research and hands-on experiences.

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Are you a high-achieving student with strong character and a desire to stretch your imagination? If so, the Taylor-Crocker Honors Program is for YOU!

麻豆原创 offers a select group of students the opportunity to complement their degree program with a series of challenging and rewarding courses. Freshmen enrolled in the Taylor-Crocker Honors Program take special freshman courses in English and Humanities. Honors Program聽students then take one honors course each semester during their sophomore and junior years. As seniors, students complete an honors project in some area of interest.

The Taylor-Crocker Honors Program offers students the opportunity to develop a close community of learning and to take courses from some of the best faculty members at the University. Being in the Honors Program does not add to a student鈥檚 course load, but it does add variety and depth to her or his college experience. Transcripts of honors graduates include recognition that they completed the Honors Program.

Students take unique courses with other students who are academically motivated and study with outstanding professors. Participation in the program shows that students take a special interest in their education and will聽receive special recognition from the University. Future employers and graduate schools notice this on the student’s transcript.

The program involves a sequence of courses.聽 For answers to questions about this program or to request an application, please contact the Taylor-Crocker Honors Program Director, Dr. Bill Yankosky at byankosky@ncwu.edu.

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Honors Program Flyer
taylor crocker Honors Program Logo in navy and gold

Who is Eligible?

  • Incoming first-year students and transfer students who earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher at their previous school.
  • NCWU second-semester, first-year students who have an NCWU GPA of 3.5 or higher and have also successfully completed ENG 111.
  • NCWU students who have reached sophomore level or above who have an NCWU GPA of 3.5 or higher and have also successfully completed ENG 111 and ENG 112.

麻豆原创 the Program

How the Honors Program Works

The Program consists of a sequence of courses specially designed for honors students which are taught by outstanding professors. Individuals in the Program take unique courses with other academically talented and motivated students and have the opportunity to take Honors Option courses that provide greater depth of study of a course in the regular curriculum.

First-year honors students enroll in special Honors sections of English in the fall and Humanities in the spring, which carry a total of 6 semester hours (s.h.) of credit. Transfer students or students entering the Program late can waive these courses.

During their sophomore and junior years, honors students complete a total of 12 s.h. of honors courses, typically by enrolling in one 3 s.h. honors course each semester. A variety of honors courses are offered every semester and may come from areas in any of the University鈥檚 four schools:

  • Business
  • Education & Social Sciences
  • Humanities
  • Mathematics/Science

Professors usually design these unique courses for the students in the Program. Some of the courses can be used to satisfy general education requirements.

During the senior year, Honors Program students design and complete a supervised, interdisciplinary project consisting of a written and oral component which receives 6 s.h. of credit.

taylor crocker Honors Program Logo in navy and gold

History of the Program

Originally established in 1988 under the leadership of former English Professor, Dr. Steve Ferebee, the Program was renamed in 2009 when Roger G. Taylor, class of 1970, and his wife, Gaile, met with former President James A. Gray III. The funding that was provided for The Roger G. and Gaile Davenport Taylor Honors Program covered memberships and attendance to Honors Association Conferences, Honors Project supplies and thesis binding, guest speakers, social events for team building, professional development, Honors symposiums and travel.

In 2014, NCWU Board Chair, Dr. Dan Crocker and wife Brenda, came alongside the Taylors to support the initiative. The Crockers also established the Dr. James Durant Melton Outward Bound Scholarship that supported Honors Students who participated in the NC Outward Bound Program which offers challenging outdoor adventure programs.

Courses Offered

In addition to the special first-year honors courses and Honors Project courses, a variety of courses are offered each semester, specifically for sophomore and junior honors students.

Honors Courses Taught Over the Past Several Years

  • First-Year Honors Course Sequence
    鈥 ENG 195 Honors English (Each Fall) 鈥撀燣ee Templeton (English)
    鈥 HUM 203 Mythology (Each Spring) 鈥撀燣ee Templeton (English)
  • Ancient Religious Texts of Africa and the Middle East (Fall 2023) 鈥 Shane Thompson (Religious Studies)
  • African American Literature (Fall 2022) 鈥 Jim Bowers (English)
  • Conservation Behavior (Fall 2024) 聽鈥 Dimitri Blondel (Biology)
  • Cryptology (Fall 2021, Fall 2023) 鈥 Bill Yankosky (Math)
  • Data Analysis and Visualization (Spring 2022, Spring 2024) 鈥 Jackie Lewis (C.I.S.)
  • Determinants of Dietary Patterns (Spring 2024) 鈥 Danielle Braxton (Health Promotion)
  • Environmental Studies (Spring 2025) 鈥 Daniel Elias
  • Fatal Attraction: Fascism in Two Republics (Fall 2024) 鈥 Jarrod Kelly (Political Science) and Chad Ross (History)
  • Gender and Sexuality Studies: Literatures of Love and Pain (Spring 2024) 鈥 Doreen Thierauf
  • History Goes to the Movies (Fall 2023) 鈥 Jonathan Sarris (History)
  • Icelandic Sagas (Spring 2022, Spring 2025) 鈥 Lee Templeton (English)
  • Math and Art (Fall 2022) 鈥 Gail Stafford (Math)
  • Positive Psychology (Spring 2023, Spring 2025) 鈥 Fred Sanborn (Psychology)
  • Sacred Art (Spring 2023, Fall 2024) 鈥 Andrew Stern (Religious Studies)
  • Weimar Germany or Weimar Amerika? You decide (Fall 2021) 鈥撀燙had Ross (History)

The Honors Project

During senior year, Taylor-Crocker Honors Program students design and complete a supervised, interdisciplinary project consisting of a written and oral component. The project gives honors students the unique opportunity to work on an individual basis with a faculty member. A variety of honors projects have been completed over the years and some have even led to publications in academic journals. Several students have presented work related to their honors projects at professional conferences.

Some Honors Projects, and the students who completed them during the past several years, include:

  • A Case Study Assessing the Physiological Demands of Guitar Performance聽鈥 Enrique Chang
  • A Literature Review on Singapore鈥檚 Economic Miracle: What are the lessons to be learnt?聽鈥 David Bolivar
  • A Small-Scale Approach to Coral Research聽鈥 Alyssa Brookhart
  • An Examination of Malaria, African Trypanosomiasis, and American Trypanosomiasis: Blood-borne Parasitic Infections Spread through Vector Transmission聽鈥 Angela Bird
  • An Exploration of Race Film Theories in the Context of Sports Media聽鈥 Ali Cucinotta
  • An Exploration of Singular Values and the Singular Value Decomposition of Matrices聽鈥 Julia Trimmer
  • Assessment of Sport Concussion During the Playing Session in Collegiate Sports聽鈥 Hayleigh Heckman
  • Brisked Business Plan聽鈥 Daniella Umubyeyi
  • Changes in the Family through the Lense of Christian Ethics 鈥 Key Strickland
  • Cloud Computing in Agriculture of Nepal: Increasing Crops Yield Using Soil Sensors聽鈥 Prawachan Dhungana
  • Comparing the Body Image of Male Athletes to Their Non-Athlete Counterparts聽鈥 Madeline Graham
  • Contemporary Rewrites of the Bible: Rewriting David and Saul聽鈥 Abigail Guzman
  • Corruption and its Impact on Key Socioeconomic Factors and Human Development in Developing Countries聽鈥 Jhonny Acosta
  • Dear Loved One, How I Need You: An Empirical Study on the Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Depression 鈥聽Angela Groeneveld
  • Does Product Type Affect Brand Loyalty Among Different Age Groups and Gender Identities? 鈥 Shanice Tillery
  • Dream Tress Boutique Business Plan聽鈥 Janasia Joyner
  • Duels: Wars of Rules聽鈥 Solomon Pownall
  • Eastern Carolina Lighting LLC. 鈥 Matthew Coltren
  • Effects of Coaching on College Athletes鈥 Psychological Well-Being In vs. Out of聽Season 鈥 Jordan Fransee
  • Effects of Water Quality on Spatial Distribution of聽Lampetra Aepyptera聽鈥 Christian Gardner
  • Exploring Age-Related Differences in Work-From-Home Preference聽鈥 Will Speight
  • From 鈥淢ammy鈥 in Gone with the Wind to Tyler Perry鈥檚 鈥淎ngry Black Woman鈥: A Qualitative Content Analysis of the Portrayals of Black Women in Fictional Films from the 1930s to Modern Day聽-Samantha Valeros
  • Frustration Responses in Domestic Cats (Felis catus): Behavioral Analysis in a Food Obstruction Experiment 鈥 Roberta Vulcano
  • Generational Perceptions of Intersectional Feminism: Social Media as the New Public Sphere for a Feminist Education聽鈥 Mary Catherine Davis
  • Growing a Small Business Through Social Media; A Creative Case Study of New Wave Fashion聽鈥 Rebecca Solis-Wanous
  • High and Low Performer Differences in Force Plate Derived Neuromuscular Performance in Female NCAA Division III Soccer Player聽鈥 Kelsey Hutchison
  • In the Woods Somewhere: A Screenplay聽鈥 Sierra Joyner
  • Internal Auditing and De-risking Blockchain-based Environment聽Under a Global Regulatory Framework聽鈥 Han Jumashov
  • Neuromuscular and Aerobic Performance Is Associated With 20- and 40-meter Sprint Times in Female Collegiate Soccer Players聽鈥 Isabel Neall
  • Next Era Marketing 鈥 A Digital Marketing Firm聽鈥 Blaise Gourley
  • Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms during the COVID-19 Stay at Home Order in North Carolina聽鈥 Madison Gill
  • Political Socialization, Trust in Government, and Voter Turnout Among University Students 鈥 Blaire Harley
  • Psychological and Societal Factors in Serial Killers聽鈥 Allison Wichrowski
  • Racial Disparity in the Judicial System of the United States Against African Americans (1865- Present) 鈥 McKaylah Lee
  • Ransomware: Education as a Deterrent against a Pervasive Threat聽鈥 Anthony Boykin
  • Seasonal Changes in Physical Performance鈥揜elated Variables in Female NCAA Division III Soccer Players聽鈥 Rolandon Valladarez
  • Sleep and Depressive Symptoms after Sport-Related Concussion聽鈥 Megan Mackey
  • Socialization and the Normalization of Deviance: A聽Partial Test of Social Learning Theory聽-Jacob Aldridge
  • The Art of Slow: Why The Time and Effort Put into Handcrafted Objects Makes Them More Valuable Than Ever聽鈥 Naomi Pilapil
  • The Business of the WNBA: The Lives and Professional Growth of Women Athletes in American Basketball 鈥 Nadia Simmons
  • The Cultural Influence of Packaging Color on Consumer Perception 鈥 Lilian Monroy
  • The Effect of Pandemic and Childhood Stress and The Impact of Resiliency on College Student鈥檚 Perceived Academic Performance聽-Elizabeth Perry
  • The Effectiveness of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act & Ethics in Preventing Corporate Accounting Fraud聽鈥 Alexa Yaravide
  • The Effects of Pet Ownership on the Mental Health of North Carolina Wesleyan College Students聽鈥 Rebecca Mitchell
  • The Efficacy of Facemasks Against Respiratory Airborne Pathogens 鈥 Quincey Packer
  • The Greatest Word in the Bible is Hope鈥: Restoring Identity and Reinstating Dignity for Survivors of Human Trafficking聽鈥 Natalie Larson
  • The Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on Whale Populations 鈥 Desiree Walker
  • The Impact of Gender and Race on Legislation:聽A Study of How Legislators鈥 Gender Influence their Support of Women鈥檚 Interest Policies聽鈥 Grace deMontesquiou
  • The Impact of Wastewater Treatments on the Presence of Pharmaceuticals in Hospital * Effluents聽鈥 Michelle Sackey-Ansah
  • The Long Road To Black Women鈥檚 Health Equity聽鈥 Skylar Hopper
  • The Name Game: Perceptions of Names as Possible Determinants of Success in Education聽鈥 Ariel Wilson
  • The Relationship Between the Media and Serial Killers 鈥 Makayla Moore
  • Two Simplified Post-Quantum Cryptosystems Demonstrated on the TI Graphing Calculator 鈥 Lexi Reinert
  • Using Diagrams to Improve Student Success with High School Math Word Problems聽鈥 Jad茅jah Robinson
  • Why Do People Believe COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories and What Are the Consequences聽鈥 Victoria Thompson

How the University Recognizes Honor Students

Students who participate in the Taylor-Crocker Honors Program show that they take a special interest in their education and receive special recognition from the University. Besides challenging and enriching instruction, the Honors Program provides its students with increased opportunities to meet visiting scholars, civic leaders and performing artists; travel to museums, the theater and sites of cultural, historical or scientific importance; and attend or present at conferences. Honors Program students may gather for study or conversation in the Honors Lounge. There is also a student organization on campus, the Student League of Academic Prestige (S.L.A.P.) comprised of the Honors Program students.

Every honors course that students take is marked as such on their transcript. Students who complete the entire program receive special recognition on their degree, at graduation and on their transcript. Graduates of the Program receive a special blue and gold cord to wear at graduation. Students enrolled in the Taylor-Crocker Honors Program also receive a special scholarship starting at $500 each semester and increasing over their time in the Program.

Honors Lounge

NCWU Honor students enjoy the benefits of a comfortable, dedicated space just for them, equipped with snacks to relax, study, read or socialize. This space is equipped with a large conference table for meetings as well as computer workstations.

The Honors Lounge was renovated in 2022 with the help of the Taylor-Crocker families. Read entire article.聽聽

Taylor-Crocker Honors Student Achievements

Discover what our recent Honors Students have achieved and what their future plans are.

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Hear what other students and faculty say about the Taylor-Crocker Honors Program...

The Taylor Crocker Honors Program made my academic experience at 麻豆原创 unforgettable. The community, education, creativity, and dedication fostered through this program are incomparable. There are many benefits to being a member of the Honors Program; however, my favorites were the ability to schedule classes before other students and having access to unique courses designed specifically for Honors students. I studied Cryptology with Dr. Bill, Positive Psychology with Dr. Sanborn, Mythology with Dr. Templeton, and many other interesting courses created for Honors students. The most impactful experience was working on my Senior Honors Thesis, with Dr. Bill as my director. I was able to dive deeper into studying a topic I love, Cryptography, and develop valuable skills that I will carry with me throughout my future endeavors. I will forever be grateful to the Honors Program advisors, Dr. Bill and Dr. Sanborn, and for the opportunity to be part of such an amazing program.

Lexi Reinert 鈥23, Honors Program Graduate, Math and C.I.S. double major

The Honors Program truly made my experience at Wesleyan the best it could be. The support from the Honors Program Advisors (Dr. Bill and Dr. Sanborn) was unmatched 鈥 I felt that I could come to them with any question, concern, or suggestion, and they would take care of it without me having to worry. The most impactful experience to me was completing my Honors Thesis with my Director (Dr. Preuss). It was a very flexible project that taught me how to conduct a research experiment and present my findings professionally. I believe that it really made an impact on the students and faculty. Through the Honors Program, I enjoyed the privileges of free printing, field trips, special topic classes, as well as being able to have a space where I could privately study outside of my room during times when the library was closed (Honors Lounge). I am tremendously grateful to have been a part of the Honors Program at NCWU.

Rebecca Mitchell, Honors Program 2022 Graduate and Biology and Psychology Double Major

The Honors program has meant a lot to me.聽 It has allowed me to become more well-rounded in my knowledge by taking classes I never would have taken for my majors. My leadership skills have increased dramatically and I have been able to get to know more students from being the first president of the Honors Club. 聽Also, my senior honors project has helped prepare me for when and if I decide to go to graduate school. Without the Honors Program, I don鈥檛 believe I would be where I am today. This program, if anything, has enhanced my character as a whole.

Tiara Joyner, Honors Program Graduate and Justice Studies & Psychology Double Major

The Taylor-Crocker Honors Program allowed me to take more challenging and interesting courses that were not necessarily associated with my Criminal Justice and Psychology majors. Classes such as 鈥楥ryptology鈥 with Dr. Bill Yankosky, 鈥楻ock and Roll as Cultural History鈥 with Dr. Steve Ferebee, and 鈥楶ositive Psychology鈥 with Dr. Fred Sanborn were my favorites.

Chynna Laws, Honors Program Graduate and Criminal Justice & Psychology Double Major

I was told by Penn State that the reason I was accepted into their graduate program was actually because I had participated in NCWU鈥檚 Honors Program.

Mikey Case, Honors Program Graduate and Mathematics & Psychology Double Major

The Taylor-Crocker Honors Program played a huge role in my success at my time at North Carolina Wesleyan. Dr. Bill and Dr. Sanborn put their all into making sure that you have all the tools you need to succeed. This led me to gaining a sense of leadership, comfort, and strength due to the unique classes and challenges of the Honors Program that really bring out the drive for success from within you. It certainly helped to have a designated lounge area to relax and/or complete some work being an off-campus student. Last, but not least, if you are worried about the honors thesis, don鈥檛 be. Your team of professors along with Dr. Bill and Dr. Sanborn will be with you every step of the way and you鈥檒l feel a great sense of achievement once you complete it (shout out to Dr. Weber, Dr. El铆as, and Dr. Ross).

Quincey Packer 鈥24, Honors Program Graduate and Biomedical Science Pre-Med Major

I really enjoy that you have unique classes every semester with the same family of students and that classes reflect real-world concepts. Being in honors classes is a unique experience compared to other classes.

Kathleen Penrod, Honors Program Graduate and Environmental Science Major

It was my pleasure and privilege to work with Mikey Case on her honors thesis. It was especially rewarding for me to see her grow as a scholar and researcher. She is one of the most intelligent and hard-working students I鈥檝e encountered at NCWU, and the research she did for her honors thesis was at the graduate level. As a result of this kind of work, Mikey ended up being accepted at three different graduate programs in psychology.

Fred Sanborn, Assistant Director of the Honors Program and Professor of Psychology

One favorite recollection I have has to do with the first test I gave. As Blake and Denise were leaving the classroom after that test, they both commented that it was a 鈥榗ool test鈥. In all of my years of teaching, no student has ever said such a thing.

Gail Stafford, Associate Professor of Mathematics recalling her experience teaching her 鈥淧roblem Solving鈥 honors course.

Being in the program, I got to take a number of challenging classes, related to several academic disciplines. They provided me an opportunity to challenge myself academically by letting me venture beyond my field of study. I was able to hone my interpersonal, critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills which has gotten me where I am today.

Bishal Karanjit, Honors Program Graduate and Computer Information Systems Major

I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Biology at UNC Charlotte and I talk about Wesleyan constantly there. No one else that I go to grad school with has as many good things to say about their undergrad as I do about Wesleyan. My PI has been very impressed throughout my time working with her with how well Wesleyan and particularly the honors program prepared me for grad school! I really do attribute a lot of my successes these past few years to the training and support and education I got at Wesleyan.

Caitlin BrabbleRose, Honors Program Graduate and Biology Major

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