The Irvin D. Reid Honors College officially welcomed the Class of 2018 as students took part in the Honors Induction Ceremony held in the Community Arts Auditorium on Tuesday, August 26. The incoming Honors freshman class is the largest in the college's history with 519 students, an increase of 56 percent from Fall 2013.

Students and parents filled the Auditorium to listen to Dean Dr. Jerry Herron offer his greetings to the incoming class. Following Dr. Herron's opening remarks, senior Sean Shepard reflected on his time in the Honors College and how his service and research experiences helped shape his career path.

The Four Pillars of Honors candles were lit by Reba John, Kaushik Varadarajan, Danyoul Yamin, and Katherine Mullan. Each candle represented one of the four pillar of the Irvin D. Reid Honors College - Community, Service, Research, and Career. At the conclusion, students stood, placed hands over their hearts, and in unison recited the Honors College pledge.