This year, the Honors College is excited to award specially designed medallions to Honors graduates, inaugurating a new tradition within Honors. The medallion was designed by Aspen Delis, an Honors student and member of the Honors Student Advisory Committee (HSAC). With the Honors College Degree Recognition Ceremony serving as a kick-off ceremony across campus, graduates will have the opportunity to don their medallions throughout graduation season.

Assistant Dean Aaron Reynolds notes, “About two years ago, the Honors College faculty and staff expressed a desire to elevate the celebration of the Honors degree.” Aspen and fellow HSAC members worked with Honors leadership to craft this special recognition for Honors graduates. After several variations in design over the course of a year, Aspen is pleased with the result: “This simple yet classic and elegant design will be awarded to our Honors graduates this year and for future years to come.”

Now that the medallion has come to fruition, Reynolds elaborates on its impact: “The medallion symbolizes completion of the Honors degree—the highest undergraduate degree awarded at the University of Utah—and sets it apart from GPA-based and other academic honors.” Aspen comments, “This medallion will not only serve as a reminder of [students’] accomplishments at the U, but a piece of inspiration of what is yet to come.”

McKenna Hall | Journalism Intern, University of Utah Honors College