Accounting major Amber Hull "13, MActg '14, was beginning her junior year at Lundquist when an advisor suggested she should apply to the Honors Program. Despite her high GPA, Hull wasn't convinced that she was a good candidate.

“I thought, ‘this will be a group of the most intelligent people, and I couldn't possibly keep up,"" recalled Hull.

But the opportunity was too compelling to ignore. Hull applied and was accepted to the program in Fall 2011.

Once she started classes and met the students in her cohort, Hull realized that everyone had their own unique strengths and weaknesses. She also made a critical resolution.

“I decided I would say ‘yes" to everything that came my way until I couldn't take on any more," she explained.

Soon, she was the treasurer of the campus Toastmasters club, a business school peer advisor, a Beta Alpha Psi member, a networking event host, program development chair and much more—not to mention her significant academic load. There were late nights, for sure, but Hull could feel herself growing. She discovered that she was capable of far more than she had imagined. She learned to prioritize and began to assume anything was possible. Even when things didn't go exactly as planned, Hull knew she would emerge stronger—and smarter.

Hull's unique attitude paid off when she received her accounting degree and met corporate recruiters who spoke highly of the Honors Program. Not only was she armed with technical and academic knowledge, but her personal growth had prepared her to lead and collaborate in a competitive environment. She had become the full package—and she no longer worries about keeping up.

“Honors was the best part of my experience at the University of Oregon," said Hull, “and one of the things that has changed me the most as a person."

“You really build these great connections that follow you for the rest of your life."