When I completed my first semester at WVU, I got many invitations via email to join a number of different honoraries. It was confusing because I had no idea which ones were worth joining (which were most prestigious or well-known) versus which were not. After doing some research online and receiving information from the ASPIRE office, I realized that WVU had three main honoraries: Helvetia, Chimes and Mortar Board. These organizations are for sophomores, juniors, and seniors, respectively. From there, I chose to make my main focus admission to Helvetia for my sophomore year.
The Helvetia application was straightforward and easy to fill out. WVU accepts about forty rising sophomores each year into Helvetia, and I ended up being one of them. The induction ceremony was a lot of fun- Gordon Gee was there in jeans! We broke the ice with each other by partnering with Project Linus to make blankets for the Children’s hospital and enjoying ice cream sundaes afterwards. The induction confirmed to me that I was with some of the best people on campus, and I was so excited to be chosen and start going to meetings.
Besides being surrounded by great, like-minded students, Helvetia has been amazing because of the activities we do. We have a service chairperson and a social chairperson, and the rest of us are split up into being either on the social committee or the service committee. The social committee is in charge of planning and carrying out social activities for the honorary members to attend to get to know each other better, bond, and have some fun. The service committee plans community service activities and allow us to gain volunteer hours. Some of the social and service activities we have done so far include game night at Sundale nursing home, decorating pumpkins, and helping at the Kids for a Cure Carnival.
As a pre-med student with dreams of attending WVU’s School of Medicine, I did a bit of research on the common application used to apply to medical schools across the country. There is actually a special place in the application specific to listing honoraries you have been a part of. This realization made me especially happy with my decision to pursue this opportunity, and I plan on applying to Chimes and Mortar Board in the years to come.
Overall, if you have any interest in the honoraries, apply! You will not regret it. Helvetia has been so enjoyable, and it will look great on resumes as a bonus. You will make lifelong friends and amazing college memories.
Let’s Go.
Alyssa Brashear