While most students were getting ready for the start of the new semester, one particular group of students were preparing for a milestone that would influence the rest of their college experience.

Jan. 7 marked the induction of 18 freshmen members into the Honors International Teaching Fellows (HITF), a learning community of high academic achievers.

The induction took place in the Otto Budig Theater, where members were given a tote bag in honor of their initiation.

The inducted students set up projects in the University Center lobby with subjects ranging from the benefits of teaching Spanish to how they would set up their future classroom.

On top of being a part of the fellows, each year the members of HITF have four opportunities to travel internationally to experience global perspectives of teaching.

According to Tom Zaniello, director of the Honors Program, one of those trips the students will be able to design themselves, one would be for student teaching and the other would be to attain a global perspective for their classroom.

Last summer a professor-led student group traveled to Ireland.

“HITF embodies the international opportunities available to students,” said Elaine Jarchow, the Dean of College of Education. “Traveling is very purposely for this program. It shows the need to communicate across other countries.”

“By traveling internationally, the new members of HITF will be able to recognize the importance of globalizing the classroom,” said Ashley Hall, sophomore HITF member. “When we traveled to Ireland with HITF we were able to see how Ireland geared their curriculum towards instructing about other cultures and not just their own.”

According to Hall, traveling to Ireland opened her eyes to the many classrooms that lack international focus. “By lacking an international focus we create apathetic students who don’t care about what is going on in the world.”

The following were inducted: Christina Cassidy, Matt Clifford, Jamie Garner, Donald Graven, Jennifer Hernandez, Audrey Kinney, Candace Knott, Kelly Koehler, Amy Markesbery, Sarah McGuire, Christina Palassis, Morgan Ross, Marissa Rossine, Maria Steffen, Elizabeth Thatcher, Danielle Weires, Chelsea Williams and Jessica Zeckner.