Meet this Year's Honors Student Council
Article by Aspen Woolley | Photo by Hannah Childs
Pictured above, left to right: (top row) Josh Miercort, Adrian Sivila, Alex Cazier, Jacob Sy, Ella Paligo, Wyatt Bailey, Landon Shumway; (mid row) Vika Filimoeatu - advisor, Sophia DeMarco, Maddie Kenealey, Suzie Lane, Abigail Hoban, Megan Houston; (bottom row) Elizabeth Johnson, Emmie Hall, Tala Alnasser, Tyla Flake, Eliza Whiting, Eliza Mancilla
The Honors Program at BYU is full of outstanding leaders, and a number of them are serving this year on the Honors Student Leadership Council, or HSLC. This group of Honors students serves their peers through planning events, facilitating community building, and inspiring leadership. Mid-way into the semester, we’ve already experienced amazing events and community building activities. We can’t wait to see what else this year’s 2025-26 HSLC team has in store! Meet the members of HSLC below and read about their goals for the year, their reasons for joining Honors and HSLC, get insider secrets, and see what superpowers they dream of!
Tala Alnasser
Home: Jordan & Palestine
Council Role: President
Major(s): Public Relations, French
Minor: Sociology
This year the goals from HSLC are to have a greater emphasis on service and what students actually want, as well as personal development. I chose Honors because of the interdisciplinary emphasis and focus on thinking about things from different perspectives. There is an intersection of interests found in Honors, and this interdisciplinary way gives you an edge going into the world post-graduation and improves interactions with others.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: Probability manipulation & control.
Wyatt Bailey
Home: Salt Lake City, UT
Council Role: Research and Service Committee member
Major: Genetics, Genomics, & Biotechnology
Minor: Business Strategy, Japanese, Business
My goal for Honors is to help connect Honors students with top-tier service opportunities. The best kept secret of Honors is that the thesis is not a class (though enrollment in HONRS 499R is required), and it can be done in small chunks after your prospectus is in.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: Teleport but it just works, you don’t even have to think too hard about exact placement.
Alexandra Cazier
Home: Huntsville, AL
Council Role: Stewardship Committee member
Major: Psychology
Minor: Entrepreneurship
I want to help people feel more included and emotionally safe in the Honors Program and community! I LOVE the Unexpected Connections courses. Literally so cool. They have been some of my favorite classes in all of my years at BYU. I joined HSLC because I really love the concepts and foundations of leadership in Honors and wanted to be able to contribute to the awesome community.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: To teleport or being able to learn any language in an hour…that would be insane.
Sophia DeMarco
Home: Enumclaw, Washington
Council Role: Research and Service Committee member
Major: Biology
My goals are to foster a community of love, support, and growth within the Honors Program. This program has been such a blessing as it allowed me to gain knowledge surrounding serving others in higher ways and thinking of solutions to problems using interdisciplinary methods. This has led me to form connections with students and staff that have lasted for years. My favorite experiences include serving as a TA for one of the intro classes and being in a class with my sister. The Honors classes really bring out the best in people and because of it, you see so many moments of service, love, support, and selfless kindness.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: To be able to fly.
Tyla Flake
Home: Lehi, UT
Council Role: Outreach Committee member
Major: Communication Disorders
My goals are to spread the word! So many people haven't heard about the Honors Program or have no idea what goes into it. I love that I'm going to be able to say I graduated from BYU with University Honors. It has provided me with a well-rounded appreciation of literature and problems broader than speech and hearing. I love Chocolate Chats…and that Honors is open enrollment. I also love that I get to use my leadership experience to give back to this program I love!
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: Breathing underwater! Can you imagine snorkeling and not being scared of getting water in your snorkel?
Emmie Hall
Council Role: Research and Service Committee member
Major: Cybersecurity
Minor: Computer Science, Scandinavian Studies
I want to make the Honors Program feel like a community! I chose Honors because I wanted to learn with and from students outside of my major. I also really wanted to participate in interdisciplinary learning, which I found was exemplified in the Unexpected Connections classes. A highlight was going bird watching with my professors for an Unexpected Connections class about the music of songbirds and humans. A secret about Honors is that there is a tree near the Maeser building that smells like orange cream popsicles!
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: I would love to be able to teleport, so I could save on gas money and get to class early!
Abigail Hoban
Home: North Carolina
Council Role: Vice President of Outreach
Major: Epidemiology
I joined the Honors Program to enhance my undergraduate experience at BYU. I loved how the Honors Program would push me out of my comfort zone and involve me in experiences I hadn’t initially imagined having at BYU. My favorite experience was attending the Honors Conference. It helped me understand what was ahead of me in the Honors Program, and I also got to meet tons of interesting people. The best secret about Honors is that the Maeser Building was built on top of where an old cemetery used to be!
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: Weather Control
Megan Houston
Home: Rochester, NY
Council Role: Outreach Committee member
Major: Communication Disorders
My goal is to help more people learn about the Honors Program, so people stop asking “what is BYU Honors?” Honors is an incredible way to make a difference in your chosen field of study. My favorite part has been the opportunity to develop relationships with faculty. The bagel bash is my favorite event; it’s a great way to prep for finals! I wanted to join HSLC so I could have the opportunity to give back to the Honors Program and serve my classmates.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: I would want to change the taste of anything I'm eating to be whatever I want.
Elizabeth Johnson
Home: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Council Role: Outreach Committee member
Major: Marketing
I want to spread knowledge of the Honors Program across campus. I feel like when I started college many around me didn't know that we had an Honors Program, but now more and more people I meet know about it! I love the relationships I've made as an Honors student, and the Unexpected Connections classes are great! I love the Honors professors too. I chose to do HSLC because I want to gain more leadership experience to prepare me for the workforce.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: I'd choose to have the ability to manipulate luck because you could do anything you want with that! I'd change my chances of gaining the ability to fly to 100%. Think of the possibilities.
Maddie Kenealey
Home: Orem, UT
Council Role: Stewardship Committee member
Major: Journalism and Sports Media
My goals for this year are to help students feel comfortable in the Honors Program. I chose Honors because it felt like a safe space for me, and I liked how committed to scholarship everyone was. I chose HSLC because I wanted to work on building a community and being a leader in other areas in my life, and I feel like HSLC has really helped me to do that.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: I would pick teleportation because I hate driving and I love to travel.
Suzie Lane
Home: Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
Council Role: Outreach Committee member
Major: Interdisciplinary Humanities
This year I’d love to increase communication between HSLC and the rest of the Honors Program, and really just show people all the resources that are available to them within the Honors Program! I love interdisciplinary thinking, and I love learning about new things in new ways! My secondary school was also pretty small, so the smaller, unique classes and project-based learning is right up my alley. I chose HSLC because my friend Tala recruited me! I really respect her as a leader and she's the kind of person who will have your back when you need her to.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: It would probably be to breathe underwater or to speak any language! If there's a body of water nearby, I WILL jump into it, so breathing underwater would come in handy.
Eliza Mancilla
Home: Riverside, CA
Council Role: Outreach Committee member
Major: History (Human Rights & Civil Rights emphasis)
Minor: Global Business Literacy, Civic Engagement Leadership
My Honors goal is to have a Great Question prepared by the end of the year! I'm excited to defend my thesis next year and to present my research. I initially joined Honors as a freshman because of its reputation as a prestigious organization, but I have found so much joy in being a part of the events and experiences that the program offers. I am also super grateful to be connected to all the alumni. I don't think I would have been so well connected if it hadn't been through the friendships I've developed with students, faculty, and alumni. I chose HSLC because I wanted to make an impact and give back to an organization that I feel has opened up so many doors for me!
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: I would probably want to be able to warp reality.
Josh Miercort
Home: Reno, NV
Council Role: Research and Service Committee member
Major: Biophysics
My goals for Honors this year are that I would like to serve in the community and broaden my horizons with regards to leadership and other opportunities. I like Honors because it exposes me to many different disciplines and questions that I wouldn't interact with otherwise, including people with different ideas. The best kept secret about Honors is the free chocolate snacks every other Friday! I joined HSLC because it seemed like a good opportunity to learn and serve.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: Imagine being able to pull anything you could think of out of your pocket. Short a dollar? Boom. Really craving a sandwich? Done. Locked out of your apartment and need a key? No problem.
Ella Paligo
Home: Tennessee
Council Role: Vice President of Research and Service
Major: Legal Studies
Minor: Business, Civic Engagement Leadership, Global Women’s Studies
I hope to create long-lasting service initiatives and expand the outreach for the Honors Program. The best part of Honors is the people! I’ve met my best friends and favorite professors here, and I’m so grateful for a community that continually pours into me. I love all the fun events we host, and there are some great study spots in the Maeser too! I’ve looked up to the people in HSLC since I was a freshman, and I’m excited for the opportunity to lead and inspire others the same way they inspired me.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: I’d love the ability to freeze time-there’s never enough of it!
Landon Shumway
Home: Sierra Vista, AZ
Council Role: Stewardship Committee member
Major: Dance
Minor: Exercise Science
I want to help students find friends in the program and make the MSRB a friendly place to be. Need a place to study in the reading room? You’re welcome to join my table! I found my major and career path through an Unexpected Connections class. Working with the professor and seeing his interests, combined with the way you could tell he cared about us, made me feel like I could branch into a subject I’d always wanted to get into but felt scared to try. In Honors, writing a thesis is like landing your dream internship. It’s a built-in project to get you ready for the job you want, and there is tons of support to help you make it happen.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: Perfect pitch
Adrian Sivila
Home: Gaithersburg, MD
Council Role: Stewardship
Major: Pre-Business
We hope to increase student participation, engagement and support through the events we organize in HSLC. I hope to inspire others to excel in their academic life and to be more of myself as I lead out. The Honors Program really helped me begin thinking outside of just my major. In the program, I've made some of my most valued connections with students and faculty alike. The events within the program are among the best I have been to on campus. The chances that they provide you to network with alumni, faculty and peers are unmatched. I mean that wholeheartedly! I chose to serve on HSLC because I saw an opportunity to utilize everything I have observed and learned about the Honors Program to serve and shape the program for the next generation of students.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: It would be to fly. It may sound awfully impractical, but I would love the freedom and ease of traveling anywhere, at any time!
Jacob Sy
Home: Rocklin, CA
Council Role: Vice President of Stewardship
Major: Molecular Biology
Minor: Music, Global Studies
My goal for this year is to create spaces that foster an Honors community. As someone majoring in Molecular Biology but also minoring in Music and Global Studies, I have very diverse interests. I came into college wanting to explore as much as I can and the Honors Program has given me that opportunity. I loved taking my Unexpected Connection courses, they truly have been my favorite classes I've taken my entire college career…I wish all my friends had the opportunity to take these classes. The best secret of the Honors Program is the Maeser Building bathrooms: always clean, always empty, paper towels always stocked! It’s great.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: To shrink/expand things at will. Imagine being able to bring your bed anywhere or carrying all the snacks you want. It would make life so much easier, and I'd be prepared for any situation.
Eliza Whiting
Council Role: Research and Service Committee member
Major: Linguistics, Anthropology
Minor: French, German
This year my goal is to incorporate more service into the Honors Program! I did Honors because I felt that it would be a cool way to learn. My favorite part of Honors is that I met my best friend ever(!!) in the Honors Introductions classes! I also really loved the Unexpected Connections. There are some really cool people here. I chose to do HSLC for my leadership experience because I wanted to see more of an emphasis on service in the Honors Program. The best kept secret is that the Maeser Building used to be an anthropology museum!
If you could have any superpower, what would it be: I would want to speak every language.
Thank you to the council for all they've done to successfully launch the academic year. We're excited for what comes next!