Get to Know: HSLC

Every semester, students pour hundreds of glasses of chocolate milk during weekly Chocolate Milk Discussions in the Honors Reading Room. Without the influence of the Honors Student Leadership Council, events like Chocolate Milk Discussions, Disciple Scholar Lectures, and the annual Murder Mystery party, would not exist.

The council is a team of students from disciplines across campus with a common goal: to be the voice of Honors students. Members of HSLC must be Honors students and commit to two semesters on the team. Students spend time developing leadership skills, planning events, conducting research, and brainstorming ways to improve and enhance the Honors experience. HSLC members are passionate about the Honors Program and sharing their experience with others.

The program would not be possible without the leadership of Vika Filimoeatu. Vika oversees everything, attends events, and comes up with amazing ideas. She’s what makes HSLC run.

Get to know our HSLC student members below:

ERIN FARISH | President

Erin Farish is a Family Life major with a Family Studies emphasis. She is from St. George, Utah and describes herself as an avid backpacker.

BRIAN ALLEN | Vice President

Brian Allen is a Public Health major with an emphasis in epidemiology. He is minoring is international development. Brian loves to travel and scuba dive.

TAYLOR TOPHAM | Historian

Taylor Topham is an English major from Meridian, Idaho. He lives in a museum!

CHRISTIAN HALES | Marketing/Publicity

Christian Hales is a Music Performance major from Utah. He visited St. Petersburg to study with world-renowned principal double bass, Artem Chirkov.

BRADLEY GORONSON | Treasurer

Bradley is an economics student planning to graduate Fall 2019. He was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada and served a mission in China Hong Kong. After graduation, he plans to attend graduate school to earn a PhD in Organizations and Management researching how individuals and organizations use work to do good in the world and find more meaning in life. He also plans to teach and conduct research in the field of business ethics as a business school professor after completing his PhD. He enjoys classical music, good conversation, and feeding the BYU ducks.

TREVOR MATTHEWS | Assistant Logistics Coordinator/Videographer

Trevor Matthews is a Classics and Spanish Studies major from St. George, Utah. He is a violinist.

ASHLEY BARLOW | Community Coordinator

Ashley Barlow is a Linguistics major from Nauvoo, Illinois. She participated in the English Language in Britain study abroad.

JENNIFER KIMBALL | Secretary

Jennifer Kimball is a History major (with an emphasis on Russian history) from Sandy, Utah. She is minoring in Russian language. Jennifer loves to dance and has studied ballroom, ballet, and jazz. Jennifer is currently taking an Irish dance class.

IAN MCLAUGHLIN | Chocolate Milk Discussion Coordinator

Ian McLaughlin, a senior from Rexburg, Idaho, is a history major, with minors in Classics (Ancient Greek emphasis) and Latin American Studies (Brazil / Portuguese emphasis). He loves jogging, essaying, fiction writing, and anything Keira Knightley stars in. He's basically the embodiment of every absent-minded professor trope ever, and once literally bumped into the late John McCain in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

AUTUMN GOULDING | Photographer

Autumn Golding is a Photography major from Vacaville, California. She is minoring in Spanish. Autumn travels solo to a new state or country each year.

RYNO KRUGER | Research and Advisory

Ryno Kruger is from Cape Town, South Africa. He is a senior studying psychology, hoping to go into Developmental Psychology to continue research on biological markers for later life behavioral outcomes. Ryno enjoys spending time outside when it rains and, one time, he rode an ostrich!

IDONGESIT EKPO | Service Coordinator

Idongesit Ekpo is a biochemistry major from southern Nigeria. Idongesit enjoys being a confidante, which aligns with the meaning of her name. She is the Nigerian ambassador to Utah serving as Miss Nigeria Utah.

WILL SUTHERLAND | Disciple Scholar Coordinator/Marketing Assistant

Will Sutherland is pre-dental, studying microbiology. He manages a non-profit dental clinic in Provo and makes hip-hop music with a group called Wholesome Entertainment.

BRYAN SAMUELSEN | Logistics Director

Bryan Samuelsen is a marketing major from Tuscon, Arizona. One cool thing most people don't know about him is that he quit the basketball team in high school to join the choir. His head was in the game, but his heart was in the song.