The Director's Corner
The Director's Corner
November 11, 2025
Director’s Corner Takeover - Dr. Benjamin Fagan
Happy November to everyone in the Honors College! While I’ve been a faculty member at Auburn for over a decade, I only stepped into my role as Assistant Director for National Prestigious Scholarships this August. It’s been a whirlwind, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and work closely with the Honors staff. It’s also been a delight to meet Honors students when I visit classes, during our many events and in one-on-one advising sessions.
I am grateful for the warm welcome that everyone in Honors has given me and already feel very much a part of the Honors family. Since November is a month to focus on gratitude, I thought I’d take the opportunity of this guest Director’s Corner to say a bit more on the topic.
I sometimes think of gratitude as a feeling. Someone does something for me, or I reflect on all the gifts I’ve been given, and I feel grateful. It’s a nice feeling, and certainly nothing to dismiss.
Gratitude, though, can be more than a feeling. Gratitude can also be an action. I am grateful, for example, to those who made my education possible, and that gratitude manifests in the ways in which I work to help others achieve theirs. Perhaps I give money to an educational organization, or perhaps I offer my time as a tutor. How exactly one gives back will vary widely. The important thing is that we put our gratitude into action.
In my current position, I am especially grateful to all the students who have applied to nationally prestigious scholarships in my short time as an Assistant Director, and all the faculty and staff who have supported them in their efforts. Applications to these scholarships can be quite a bit of work, and it’s a team effort to complete them.
To put this gratitude into action, the Honors College will be celebrating our applicants and their academic mentors this December at the inaugural National Prestigious Scholars Aspirant luncheon. Just applying to a nationally competitive scholarship is a major accomplishment, and numerous applicants have expressed how beneficial the process has been regardless of whether they receive a scholarship. The luncheon will honor this feat. There will be speeches, certificates and, perhaps most importantly, a taco bar.
To all those who have applied for nationally prestigious scholarships, and to all those who have helped our applicants, thank you. I am grateful to you for your interest, your ambition and your hard work. I look forward to continuing to put this gratitude into action.
To all those who haven’t yet thought about applying, I invite you to consider it. I am excited about the prospect of working with you to identify and apply for some life-changing opportunities, and to connect you with a whole community that is invested in your success. I think you’ll find that the experience of applying is itself worthwhile. At the very least, we’ll show you our gratitude by celebrating your efforts. With tacos.
Dr. Benjamin Fagan
Assistant Director for National Prestigious Scholarships
Honors College
