University Honors Program

By Grace DiPierro

Jordan Seitz '15

Throughout the years, the Honors Program has had many notable students pass through the program. One such student is Jordan Seitz ‘15 who graduated from UD with a degree in History as well as a BSE in Adolescent to Young Adult Education with a Social Studies concentration. While he was a student at UD, Seitz was also part of the Honors Program. His experiences in multiple Honors humanities courses, the CORE program, and his Honors Thesis earned him the Honors with Distinction diploma.

Today, Seitz is a high school Social Studies teacher in Hamilton, Ohio, where he teaches AP US Government, World History and Current Events. Seitz’s involvement in the Honors Program helped inform his life after graduation by shaping his perspective on the world into one that is more broad and analytic, which he relays to his students in the classroom. 

Seitz’s work as a Fulbright English teacher was another key experience made possible by some of his Honors professors at UD. As a Fulbright recipient, Seitz was able to live and work in Malaysia. Seitz reflected on his time abroad by saying that “my experiences teaching in Malaysia pushed me one step further in my pursuit of diverse perspectives and nuanced context.”

Looking ahead, Seitz is excited to welcome his daughter into the world sometime in May. Additionally, Seitz is working toward a Master’s degree in History Education from Xavier University and is expected to graduate in 2022. His goal is to one day pursue a doctoral degree in History and work in higher education in some form.

Amanda Dee '16

Both Seitz and Amanda Dee ‘16 were in the CORE program and the Honors Program, but Dee took her education in a slightly different direction. Majoring in English and journalism at UD, Dee completed an Honors Thesis that examined the implications of calling UD’s Student Neighborhood “The Ghetto” over time, from the first reference in Flyer News, UD’s student-run newspaper, through her last year at UD in 2016. 

Now Dee works in medical research communications at Northwestern University’s medical school. She has created podcasts and social media posts, but is now learning how to construct and write content for websites. When she is not at this job, she is completing her MFA in creative writing at Northwestern and publishing fiction for TriQuarterly, Northwestern’s literary magazine.

Like Seitz, Dee uses what she learned in the CORE Program in all her creative and professional work. The knowledge she gained from CORE helped her see and process the world in a new way, and was also part of her inspiration for pursuing journalism. All of her experiences writing and interviewing for Flyer News as well as for her Honors Thesis prepared her to accept opportunities that “pushed me socially and intellectually beyond where I was comfortable.”

Dee hopes to write and publish works that blend various genres and mediums. Further in the future, she hopes to edit literary publications and help other writers as they start their own writing careers. Lastly, Dee hopes to work in a position where she can advise new storytellers as they learn how to mold and shape their own stories.