Last December, I stepped to a small podium in the West Reading Room of McCartney Library, hands slightly shaky as I prepared to present my academic research project. I had started the semester with vague ideas of Tolkien and stories and music and language fumbling around in my mind. 9000 words and 120 hours of work later, I gave a 40-minute presentation that summarized my research over the course of the semester.  

Each semester, a small group of students is accepted into Academic Partners, a program that enables students to undertake research in their discipline under the guidance of a professor. Each student-professor project is unique, as students have freedom to determine what topic they would like to pursue and how exactly to go about their research. Many students write a lengthy paper that reflects their research while others choose something more hands-on to showcase their studies. Every project culminates in a presentation during “Works of Our Hands Week.” 

My Academic Partners project analyzed musical narrative in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy through the framework of medieval cosmology, C.S. Lewis, and the reality of Christ’s incarnation. I am so glad I had the opportunity to participate in Academic Partners, and I would encourage fellow Geneva students who also love learning to consider seeking out opportunities to participate in undergraduate research.  

Future Education 

Participating in research gives students a taste of what graduate and doctoral studies are like. This can be helpful for students to decide if they want to pursue a master’s degree or doctorate after college. Prior to completing my project, I didn’t have a huge interest in pursuing a humanities-related graduate degree, but now I am much more interested in future graduate work.  

The Membership of Learning 

In the Academic Partners program, each student has weekly discussions with the supervising program professor and fellow researchers regarding the integration of faith into various disciplines and callings in culture today. My group met in a small, cozy room in the belltower of McCartney Library. I looked forward eagerly to the hour each Monday afternoon that I got to spend around an old wooden table, with the afternoon sunlight filtering in through the windows.  

Through the semester, discussing my research with fellow students and friends in the program increased my framework of knowledge and strengthened certain portions of my paper. I also greatly enjoyed weekly conversations with my professor as I learned how to approach research.  

Preparation for Everyday Life 

Researching my project allowed me to develop my time management skills as I decided how much time to spend reading and when to begin writing my paper. As an independent study project, my research gave me excellent practice in problem solving and seeking out alternative pathways as I ran into challenges.  

Developing Pathways of Thinking 

My research had a great impact on the way I think and the things I think about. Though I felt a sense of accomplishment and completion at the end of the semester, my research opened worlds of knowledge for exploration. I ended with far more questions than I began with! Now, as I enjoy literature and humanities classes, I often see potential research in the combination of various ideas and insights. It has been an enjoyable experience to notice how research has sharpened my thinking.  

Growth in the Christian Life 

A final blessing of research was that I grew in trusting God to provide academically. Often, I asked the Lord to guide my thinking and study. Many times, as I hit a block in my research, I was humbly reminded that God is the one who gives us the ability to learn and connect ideas. It is His creation that we study! 

Sarabeth Schuck ‘25 

Academic Partners, facilitated through the Honors Program, connects students with faculty mentors to enable them to complete a significant academic or fine arts project. Students in the program receive one-on-one mentoring and a one-semester stipend to complete a project that they present to the campus during “Works of Our Hands Week.”