Leadership with Purpose: Guiding, Mentoring, and Lifting Others
University Honors gives students real ways to lead. You can welcome future Vols, mentor first-year scholars, build community in the Honors LLC, and help shape the culture of Rocky Top. In these roles, you do more than represent a program. You work with faculty, coaches, and staff to create spaces where students feel welcomed, valued, and encouraged from their first day on campus.
“When a student steps forward to lead, mentor, or guide their peers, they show the very best of what it means to be a Volunteer. Leadership in University Honors is not about standing apart from the crowd. It is about leaning in, listening with curiosity, and creating spaces where every person knows their voice matters.”
— Dr. Talisha Adams, Senior Director, University Honors
Leadership Pathways
Honors students can step into roles that strengthen communication, mentorship, collaboration, event planning, advocacy, and professional confidence while helping shape the Honors community for others.
These roles do more than add involvement to a résumé. They give Honors students the chance to represent the program, mentor peers, organize events, and contribute feedback that shapes the broader honors experience.
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Welcome the Next Generation University Honors AmbassadorsUniversity Honors Ambassadors are often the first students prospective families meet. They share honest stories about life at Rocky Top, host campus events, answer questions, and help future Vols imagine what is possible here. Ambassadors also build practical leadership skills through weekly development, including public speaking, cross-cultural communication, and storytelling. |
Walk Beside Your Peers University Honors Peer Assistants for CoursesStarting college can feel like a lot to navigate. Honors Peer Assistants help first-year scholars find their footing. As a paid peer assistant, you become a trusted guide who helps new students connect with campus life, academic coaching, research opportunities, and the Honors Living and Learning Community. Along the way, you build coaching, communication, and active-listening skills that will serve you long after college. |
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Create Community Honors Student Engagement CouncilHSEC is an honors scholar-driven initiative that plans inclusive events and service opportunities designed to help Honors students build connections, create community, and engage more fully in campus life.
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Shape the Experience University Honors Student Advisory BoardUHSAB connects students with Honors leadership and provides feedback on the student experience, especially in areas related to curriculum, engagement, and program improvement.
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Research & Fellowship Opportunities
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville offers extensive research opportunities for honors students through the Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships. Honors students can explore undergraduate research, nationally competitive fellowships, and other high-impact academic experiences that connect their interests to future goals.
Whether a student is just beginning to explore research or is ready to pursue funding, present a project, or apply for a competitive opportunity, URF offers guidance at every stage. Honors students can use URF to connect with workshops, advising, research programming, and campus showcases that help them move from curiosity to action.
What is it?
A campus resource that helps Honors students explore research, connect with mentoring and funding opportunities, prepare for nationally competitive fellowships, and share their work through workshops and exhibitions.
Who is it for?
Honors students at any stage, from those exploring research for the first time to those preparing for funded opportunities, presentations, and other competitive opportunities.
What do students gain?
Individualized guidance, access to research funding and workshops, stronger faculty and mentor connections, and clearer pathways into research, fellowships, and other high-impact experiences.
Learn More about the Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships →
Exclusive Honors Events
Some of the best moments in University Honors happen outside the classroom. Honors students get access to events designed just for them, including Chancellor’s Lectures on leadership, conversations with the UT President, and panels with some of Tennessee’s highest-ranking education leaders. These gatherings put scholars in the room with the people shaping higher education across the state, with real space to ask questions, share perspectives, and build relationships that extend well beyond graduation.
From intimate discussions to large-scale lectures, Honors events are opportunities to think bigger, connect with leaders, and see your own path more clearly.
Academic Honors Societies
Connect with Academic Honors Societies that support scholarship, leadership, and professional development in your discipline. UT students can use VOLink to explore organizations by interest and learn more about campus involvement opportunities.
- Alpha Alpha Alpha (Gamma Upsilon Chapter) – First-Generation College Students Honors Society
- Beta Alpha Psi (Alpha Lambda Chapter) – Accounting Honors Society
- Chi Epsilon – Civil Engineering Honors Society
- Sigma Tau Delta (Alpha Epsilon Chi Chapter) – English Honors Society
- Tau Beta Pi – Engineering Honors Society
Scholars in Action
Our student leaders bring energy, care, and a strong sense of purpose to the honors community.
- Marcus, Mechanical Engineering Major: Marcus serves as an Honors Peer Assistant for Courses and undergraduate researcher. He helps first-year STEM scholars adjust to challenging coursework, form study groups, connect with campus resources, and understand that asking for help is part of learning. His mentorship shows how technical skill and care for others can work together.
- Emma, Finance Major: Emma serves as an Enrichment Director on the Honors Student Engagement Council and supports animal welfare in the local community. She uses her leadership to create welcoming spaces where students can connect, serve, and grow together.
- Caroline, Nursing Major: Caroline is a Chancellor’s Honors scholar and active outreach leader. As an Ambassador, she helps prospective students see how academic challenge, service, and care for others can shape a meaningful college experience.
Step Into Your Leadership Journey
Leadership grows through practice, reflection, and support. Whether you want to welcome new families, mentor first-year students, or plan events that bring people together, University Honors helps you build confidence and lead with purpose.
- Engagement Liaisons: Applications open each winter for the upcoming academic year.
- Peer Assistants for Courses: Selection takes place each spring and includes professional coaching training and dedicated semester compensation.
- Ambassadors: Applications open each spring for scholars who want to represent University Honors across campus and beyond.