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 WCU Stories      January 13, 2026

By Shane Ryden

This past November, five Brinson Honors College students traveled to San Diego to present their “Partners in Peace” project at the National Collegiate Honors Council’s annual conference.

Their project, and the lively, collaborative event where they shared it, are part of an ongoing international initiative linking U.S. honors programs with the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway.

The long journey west began in Fall 2024, when the BHC was selected, along with just 15 other institutions, to participate in the first iteration of a new and global project. The November 2025 trip was funded by �����Ƶapp’s 1889 Impact Grant and the Provost’s office.

With “Partners in Peace,” the Nobel Peace Center aims to enable “students, faculty and institutions to study and implement practices utilized by Nobel Peace Laureates in their attempts to achieve harmony and collaboration between individuals.”

They also hope that in pursuing that knowledge, students garner leadership and academic skills they’ll carry forward in their careers.

Prior to attending the conference, each university honors group came up with their own project to highlight the purpose of awards like the Nobel Peace Prize and to take action in their own communities to recognize peace-promoting individuals and organizations.

“Dr. Jill Granger, dean of the Brinson Honors College, and I are very proud of these students’ efforts to learn more about the global peace process and to celebrate people in our own community who contribute to peace at a local level,” said Lori Oxford, associate dean of the BHC and PiP trip leader.

The participating Catamounts – Amyra Dial, Lizzie Pennell, Madison Sawyer, Arabella Warthin and Abigail Witkowski – chose to create the BHC Peace and Dignity Prize and spread word of the award through a social media campaign.

Ultimately, they awarded their prize to the hardworking staff of radio station 95.3 WWCU for their instrumental work connecting individuals with resources and information in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

“After receiving nominations and discussing them as a team, we chose the WWCU-FM radio station as our winner this year because of how they provided peace and dignity for our community during Hurricane Helene,” said Elizabeth Pennell, senior English major and PiP member. “By recognizing them alongside the Nobel Laureates, we hope to show how small, local efforts towards peace are what really make a difference in our world.”

“Through this experience, I learned that my education is not made up of A’s on exams and material learned in the classroom. It is a process of learning through adventures that makes me into a better person and learner and expands my understanding of the world,” Pennell said.

Students then summarized their project and brought their research to San Diego to present before an audience of their peers, earning feedback and comparing their findings.

“Being part of Partners in Peace was an unforgettable experience,” said Amyra Dial, graduate student in accounting. “Prior to joining this team, I knew very little about the Nobel Peace Prize, and honestly, peace itself, but this initiative has expanded my knowledge immensely.

“Initially, I viewed peace as simply the absence of violence, but this initiative reshaped that mindset and revealed that peace involves so much more. It is fighting for democracy, discussing topics typically considered taboo, promoting equality for all people, including equal access to education and food security, and so many other things that we don’t normally think about.”

BHC students attending were also able to interact and ask questions of a former vice chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and Tawakkol Karman, a 2011 recipient of the award.

Looking ahead, the next phase of the initiative will prompt PiP groups across the U.S. and Europe to develop yet more ways to recognize advocates for peace in their communities, a goal that WCU and its incredibly active student body are sure to continue pursuing.