Ouachita Stories

If you had told my freshman-year self that I would become a published author before even earning my degree, I would’ve never believed you. This dream became possible thanks to my involvement in the Carl Goodson Honors Program.

When students hear about Ouachita’s honors program, their minds often go to one thing: the “scary senior thesis.” This thesis project requires students to conduct in-depth research on a topic of their choosing. While it can appear quite daunting, the thesis is designed to help you become more familiar with a topic you are passionate about. This can look different for every student based on their personal interests. For me, I knew wholeheartedly that I wanted my project to be a children’s book.

In the world of elementary education, we emphasize educating our students from a “whole child” approach, meaning we are focusing just as much on the emotional growth of our students as their intellectual growth. One of the best ways to bring these two elements together is through the power of children’s books. Almost every single children’s book presents valuable life lessons through whimsical storytelling. When participating in a class read-aloud, children can be entertained without even realizing they’re gaining critical life skills. I always knew I loved books, but I didn’t realize just how valuable they are to children until I became a teacher myself. Upon taking a course in children’s literature, I knew I wanted to incorporate writing a book into my senior thesis, but it wasn’t until I took a course on teaching multilingual and diverse students that I found my book’s topic – celebrating each child's unique story in the classroom.

One of the coolest things about the honors program is that students aren’t just limited to writing a research paper as their thesis. Students are also given the option for a creativity-based project with a short written component explaining the research that went into the project’s creation. The entire production process took roughly a year and a half. From researching diverse children’s read-alouds to developing a storyboard to working with my illustrator, Mallorie Carozza, it was truly a professional process.

Scholars Day was a celebration in itself. Every student who had completed a thesis presented their hard work to our campus and the Arkadelphia community. My presentation was filled with family, friends, professors and fellow peers. They were the first to see the debut of my original children’s book: “This Class Was Made for You and Me.” I spent the presentation time reading the book and discussing the heart behind it – creating a space for all children within the classroom. I’d officially become a published children’s author and honors scholar three weeks before receiving my diploma.

If you’re considering joining the Carl Goodson Honors Program, let me reassure you: this process was not only completely doable – it was very enjoyable! There are so many professors and faculty members at Ouachita ready to guide you on your own honors journey. So take that leap and get to learning about the things you love!

 

Katelyn Hartsell ’25 is an elementary education graduate from Hot Springs, Ark. If you are interested in ordering a copy of “This Class Was Made for You and Me,” please fill out this form.

 

 

"This Class Was Made for You and Me" was illustrated by Mallorie Carozza ’25, a Christian studies/biblical studies & theology graduate from Arkadelphia, Ark.

Lead photo by Meghann Bledsoe

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