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As a student of outstanding academic achievement, Megan had her choice of select universities: Georgetown, Columbia and more. Binghamton University was the only SUNY school she applied to. But Binghamton had something special to offer that the other schools did not, a program open only to the most promising and talented applicants. The Binghamton Scholars program is an all-University, four-year honors program for students of exceptional talent, with tuition support and academic opportunities not available to most undergraduates.
"It was without a doubt what brought me to Binghamton," Megan said.
The Scholars program is partially funded by donations to the Binghamton Fund, the University’s annual giving program. Scholars receive merit scholarships of various amounts for each year of study, with additional opportunities for travel subsidies and research grants. Scholars enjoy experiential learning and independent study options. The program emphasizes the acquisition of high-level research and computer skills, collaborative learning and extracurricular activities that connect the Scholars with faculty and graduate students across campus.
The program also includes a Leadership Forum that led to Megan’s involvement in community service. She organized holiday parties, dances and other events for the residents of a local retirement community. She volunteered with soup kitchens and the student chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
But the capstone of her undergraduate experience was her semester at La Sorbonne in Paris. Her studies there included a course on French history from the Revolution through contemporary times. The course taught her to examine historical events from a broader, more sophisticated perspective.
"I found that history is shaped by the culture itself," Megan said. "How they conceptualize things like World War I and World War II is completely different from the way we do."
A fourth-year research project is another required element of the Binghamton Scholars program. For hers, Megan is completing an honors thesis on sexual education in American schools from 1900 to 1960. The thesis examines why American public schools and organizations such as the PTA refused to acknowledge the sexual revolution of the 1920s, yet by the 1960s began to welcome revolutionary new sex education programs in the schools.
Now, as Megan looks forward to her graduate career, she believes she’s had an excellent preparation at Binghamton.
"Every day people ask me if it was worth coming to Binghamton," she said. "Through the people I’ve met and the opportunities I’ve had – I’ve realized this absolutely was the best thing for me."
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