By Sarah Thompson, W&M Libraries
Since 2022 the Undergraduate Honors Thesis Retreat has provided graduating students working on an honors thesis with dinner, resources, uninterrupted work time, and room to connect with each other. While the work space and time is coveted, students say they value the connections the most.
With busy schedules and looming deadlines till May, graduating students have a lot on their plate. For students that decide to write an honors thesis, carving out time to conduct self-directed work is overwhelming. The retreat supplies students with structure and the confidence to produce exceptional thesis projects.
This program is organized by W&M Libraries, the Charles Center, and the Writing & Communications Center. It was inspired by the Writers’ Retreat put together for faculty, staff and Ph.D. candidates that the Libraries hold every January and May.
Research & Instruction Librarians Camille Andrews and Rick Mikulski and Interim Associate Dean of Research & Public Services Candice Benjes-Small have helped organized the retreat for three years. They love having time with the students and cheering them to the finish line, even going to some student defense presentations.
“There’s this idea that scholarship has to be a solitary endeavor, and not only does it not have to be but it shouldn’t be, and I think that’s one of the best things about this event,” Mikulski said.
The program evolves every year based on feedback from students. Participants from previous years advocated for more time to connect and network with their peers.
“I think independent research can feel kind of isolating, so it’s cool to see everybody who’s working on something and come together to talk about it.” Ellie O’Neill ’26 said.
The students’ disciplines and project stages vary. There are STEM majors waiting for lab results, English majors with stacks of books, history majors diving into the archives, and everything in between. For example, O’Neill’s thesis focuses on academic resilience and studying what coping mechanisms students use to bounce back when things go wrong.
Davita Eyembe ’26 is in the Africana Studies department. Her thesis project centers around James Baldwin’s work “Tell me how long the train’s been gone.” After extensive research, she’s ready to dedicate her retreat time to getting words on the page.
“It’s forcing me to actually type,” Eyembe said. “When I go to type, I get sort of clammed up and continue reading, which is great for my works cited, but I need to now turn that into something.”
The group will return to the library for another retreat in April to make their final revisions. Andrews is prepped with encouragement and support.
“It’s one of those few community milestone events where they get together and do their individual work, but they also have this moment to commiserate together and then get that support,” Andrews said.