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“Take research, work
with it, discover something new.”
“This program
prepared me to get the most out of
my education – and my life in
general.”
Jerimiah Rice is
passionate about his education.
The recent graduate enrolled
in classes that challenged his
intellect and fed his desire for
knowledge and understanding.
Rice was looking
for thought-provoking conversations,
both in and out of the classroom.
When he learned
about the Honors Program and the
opportunity it provides for another
level of intellectual exploration,
he immediately enrolled.
“My psychology
teacher and I would have long
conversations about all kinds of
interesting things,” Rice said,
referring to Prof. Peter Sparks.
“One day, he asked if I was
interested in enrolling in the
Honors Program so I looked into it
and decided it was something I could
really enjoy and get something out
of it.”
The program had just
been launched when Rice enrolled in
2006. He enjoyed
the conversations led by a team of
instructors that centered on the
philosophical and scientific
questions that have challenged
generations of scholars.
In those discussions, Rice
found the creative stimulation that
was instrumental in forming the
thesis that he would present at the
end of the program.
During the first
quarter, Rice, an SCC scholarship
recipient, was introduced to the
many forms of research and the
influences and perspectives that
define them.
“I learned that there
is no one way to look at things or
approach a problem, that each
situation or event is truly unique,”
Rice said. He learned to consider
cultural, scientific, perspective,
time and many other factors.
“I learned to not take
anything at face value; that just
because it was written didn’t always
mean the truth,” Rice said.
His thesis title was
heady: “Neuronal Systems of
Creativity: Specifically Focused on
Motivation and Problem-Solving or
Cognitive Flexibility.” Behind the
words was the idea to look into what
happens in the brain to stimulate
creativity. In
the research phase of the program,
Rice said he discovered the
diametrical views of scientists and
philosophers and scholars from
different times throughout history.
Through the research, Rice touched
such diverse ideas as intervention
of divinities, spiritual possession,
madness and Sigmund Freud’s belief
that creativity was the result of
tension between the conscious and
unconscious areas of the brain.
“I learned how to
look at things in different ways –
and the value of doing that,” Rice
said.
One of the program
highlights for Rice was the weekly
one-on-one meetings with
Sparks, who
was his faculty mentor in the
program. Rice said those
conversations stretched his
imagination and awareness beyond
expectation. It was in those
meetings, along with similar
conversations with other Honors
Program students, that Rice
discovered the program’s value.
“I enjoyed every
minute,” Rice said.
Sparks
said the experiences with Rice and
the other Honors Program students
was a positive experience for him as
well. “It was
truly inspiring working with
Jerimiah,”
Sparks said.
Rice said he also
enjoyed the camaraderie with other
honors students. While the required
weekly student discussions were
centered on academics, there was a
lighter side, too. Rice discovered
that the questions and findings on
which they were founding their
research could be presented in
not-quite-standard form: a humorous
skit.
“We thought this
creative approach supported the idea
of the program in a new, unique
way,” Rice said.
“We felt like a team throughout the
program and wanted to complete the
project that way.”
What might have been
a little risky turned out to be a
good bet when
Sparks
embraced the effort. “The energetic
team came up with a problem that
needed to be solved and were able to
use each of their topics together to
generate the story and the solution
to the problem,”
Sparks said.
Currently, Rice said
he’s “staying ahead of the economy”
by putting his skills to work as a
sheet metal worker.
He plans to return to school
to earn bachelor’s and master’s
degrees in psychology and is
checking out a number of
possibilities, including the
University of
California -
San Diego.
Eventually, Rice said he
wants to do research and then teach.
One of the aspects
that Rice didn’t expect are the
lasting friendships from Shoreline
and the Honors Program. On a regular
basis, he and a few classmates are
enjoying stimulating conversations
over coffee. “I
don’t see that ever ending,” Rice
said.
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