I cannot describe  how wonderful it is to serve the most outstanding students on our campus! I am inspired by the spirit of commitment our students have given to the Reaud Honors College, Lamar University and to the broader community and surrounding areas where many of our students live. Our students thrive to imagine, innovate, impact and inspire other Cardinals, the community and the world around them. Our role in the RHC is to help our students be successful in graduate school, their professional careers and their lives. 

Our big, audacious goal is to become the most desired and influential honors college program in the state of Texas and beyond. As an honors college, we are working toward defining our pathway moving forward to strengthen and build our own unique student-centered honors college where our students innovate and impact the world around them by acting on their why, determining how they want to get there and, most important, deciding who they want to become.

In his 2009 lecture, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” Simon Sinek said, “…achievement comes when you pursue and attain what you want; success comes when you are clear in pursuit of why you want it.” It is my hope that our RHC students reflect on their learning journey and identify their passion and inspiration along the way. We hope they will articulate this in everything they do and every decision they make and, most important, learn to inspire others the way they have been inspired.

WHY

We inspire students to transform their passion into their purpose through rigorous academics, innovative research, and service leadership.

HOW

To do this, we offer high-impact educational experiences by supporting significant learning environments that offer choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning opportunities.

WHAT

We prepare successful college graduates who have their choice of top-tier graduate schools and influential careers where they will impact and inspire others through their leadership and innovation.

IMAGINE. INNOVATE. IMPACT. INSPIRE.

We hope to inspire our RHC students so they understand that although success may not always come easy, through hard work and dedication, lifelong goals can be achieved. Life will consistently test one’s perseverance, but grit and persistence will help move the needle on their most wildly important goals. We hope our students lead as they serve others and spend time building relationships with all kinds of people, especially with those who are different than they are. And above all, listen intently and care about others on their learning journey because those we invest in could very well become an integral part of our journey along the way.

We invite you to join us as we reimagine our future to become the most desirable and influential honors college in all of Texas and beyond.

Tilisa Thibodeaux, Ed.D.
Dean, Reaud Honors College & Texas Academy
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Leadership,
College of Education & Human Development