National Collegiate Honors Conference 2025

A group of five students from Georgia College & State University attended the 2025 National Collegiate Honors Conference held in San Diego, California. The National Collegiate Honors Council is a non-profit organization that supports and advances undergraduate honors education across the United States. The annual conference —attended by students, faculty and administrators — showcases student research and facilitates professional networking opportunities.

From poster presentations to interdisciplinary panels, Chloe Melton, Tommy Creekmore, Carly Walker, Morgan Collins and Kassie Arps had the opportunity to showcase their work and share their insights into the research process as part of this four-day event.

“I met so many like-minded individuals who are on ambitious paths toward transformative research experiences," Chloe said. "I had so much fun engaging with my peers at GCSU and across the country, and I loved being able to share my own advice and story regarding undergraduate research.”

A major highlight of NCHC is the opportunity to network. Because attendees come from across the United States, participants are able to connect with a wide range of honors students and professors, exchange ideas and gain insight into various research projects and academic pathways. There is even a full-day Graduate Fair for students to interact with graduate programs and separate networking for first-time students who are new to the conference. 

Another key component of the conference is the poster presentation session. During these sessions, students and professionals display their research through visually engaging posters and stand alongside them to discuss their work, answer questions and receive feedback.

In addition, the conference features signature “City as Text” explorations, where participants engage with the host city (in this case, San Diego) to learn by immersion. City as Text encourages experiential learning — walking through the city, exploring local culture and discussing observations in subsequent reflection sessions.

“NCHC was my first time in California,” Tommy said, “and through the City as Text program and time after scheduled events, I saw so much of the city. I had the opportunity to explore art museums, botanical gardens, the Spanish Village Art Center, the Seaport Village, an open Dr. Seuss gallery and see a production of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus at the Old Globe theatre.”

During the Awards Ceremony, Carly even won first place in her division for the Sloane Prize for Undergraduate Research poster presentation competition. 

“There's such a large spread of personalities amongst Honors students, but I met so many people … [who became] friends within minutes," Carly said. "It was amazing to be in an academic environment with so many hard-working people!”