Insignis information is available on the School Website – Photo by Joel Grimsley
Article by Joel Grimsley, Arts Editor
The Insignis Honors Program at Aquinas College is seeing new development under the leadership of Associate Professor Kyle Hull after becoming the head of the department in late October 2024. Since Hull’s takeover, he has worked on introducing several improvements with the goal of enhancing the Insignis students’ experience.
The Insignis Program has long been celebrated for providing high-achieving students with academic challenges and opportunities for self exploration. The program celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, first beginning four decades ago in 1985.
Members of the program have often been recognized as student leaders at Aquinas College, frequently earning awards for their academic success and community service. These students also enjoy benefits such as graduate school placements, access to faculty mentors, and funding assistance for academic endeavors.
There are about 50 members of the program, making up only a small proportion of the student body.
There are two ways to join the program, one of which is to apply as an incoming student. The other is for current Aquinas students to apply, although it is recommended for them to apply within the first few semesters. “I think it is a common misconception that students can’t join because they were not in it from the start,” said Hull. “we usually say that they should apply no later than their third semester”
Hull aims to make the program more accessible and tailored to the needs of the students. One of his first initiatives has been the creation of a new system for tracking students’ progress, making it easier for them to monitor their academic journey and achievements within Insignis.
“We want students to have creative opportunities and encourage self-exploration within the areas they are passionate about,” Hull said. The program allows students to contract courses, where they can take on additional assignments or explore topics of personal interest in greater depth. Typically culminating in a paper or project, these contracts allow for a more customized learning experience.
Freshman Romy McKellar joined the Insignis this spring semester, after initially turning down the program in the fall, confused why she would want to do “extra work.” However, she said that “as I talked with more Insignis students and the director of the program, I accumulated interest in the program as I learned about the competitive edge it offers for graduate school, the early registration aspects and the volunteering aspects.”
McKellar has created a Contract in her Sports Nutrition class, agreeing that she would write a research paper on protein timing, “specifically, trying to understand the role of protein timing on muscle recovery and protein synthesis.”
Insignis students have a required amount of volunteering hours to fulfill as part of the program, however students like McKellar often like the idea of giving back, “joining Insignis offered me the extra push to get out there and start helping out in my community.”
Hull’s office can be found be found in the basement of AB, office number 2a – Photo by Joel Grimsley
Hull’s vision for the future of Insignis includes fostering a stronger sense of community among students. “I want to build up a group identity and sense of belongingness,” he said. To encourage this, he plans to introduce more social events and off-campus activities for Insignis students to bond and engage outside of the classroom.
With these new changes, Hull hopes that increased awareness and participation will continue to strengthen the Insignis Honors programs’ four decade tradition of impacting students’ academic and career prospects at Aquinas College.
The Saint 