Landen Flippin didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do, so he decided to enroll at GRCC to get general education requirements out of the way while he figured it out.
With help from GRCC’s Honors Program, he did more than fulfill those requirements: “My academic and student life experience has been incredible!”
In fact, Flippin believes he’s learned as much outside as inside the classroom.
“I’ve learned what it is to be a cherished member of a humble community,” he said. “I’ve learned the impact of experiential service learning through the Honors Program. I’ve learned the harm of procrastination, influencing how I manage my time, and I’ve enriched my social skills.”
His list of people who have encouraged him is a long one and includes Psychology adjunct instructor Rachel Duhon, Economics professor Steve Abid, Humanities assistant professor Jeff Winkle, Psychology professor Kate Byerwalter, Business instructor Brian Chesla, Mathematics instructor Meghan VanderMale, Biological Sciences professors Leigh Kleinert and Matt Douglas, and Kellie Roblin, an associate professor of English. Many worked with him on projects required for the Honors Program.
“The Honors Program added exceptional flavor to my GRCC experience, and I’m more grateful than ever of everyone who pushed and helped my succeed through this program,” he said.
“Landen’s commitment to learning and leadership is what makes him such a great Honors student,” said Michael Schavey, director of GRCC’s Department of Experiential Learning. “He was very active in the Honors Program, completing several courses with Honors projects, participating in our co-curricular events and even attending a regional Honors conference. He’s such a hard worker, very authentic, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him.”
Abid said he enjoyed working with Flippin on his Honors project.
“He always had thoughtful responses to the questions I posed and asked good questions to try to add to his knowledge base,” Abid said. “I am happy he chose to do a project with me and know he gained some new insights into our economy because of it.
Flippin received his Associate of Arts this spring and wants a career that blends his passion for psychology, theology and business.
He’s proud of what he’s accomplished at GRCC and believes anyone can achieve success here:
“For a short recipe to cooking up a ‘GRCC success,’ gather these ingredients: purpose and discipline. It’s foolproof! And for the icing on the cake: Talk to people — your professors, other students and faculty. You can gain just as much and more outside the classroom.”