A. J. Gordon Scholars Program Details

Scholarship Requirement
In order to remain eligible for this scholarship, students must maintain a Gordon 3.3 GPA and active engagement with program components year to year.

What does an A. J. Gordon Scholar do?

To thrive as an undergraduate scholar in your chosen area of study, you connect your natural strengths and curiosities to the things that deeply call to you to explore, to understand and then solve or create. 

• Research, partnered with college faculty and Boston area companies
• Pursue creative study away and missions programs around the world
• Accomplish academic honors in their chosen disciplines
• Active leaders in athletics, music, theater, residence life and in other campus and local ministries while at Gordon
• Prepare for a lifetime of faithful influence and leadership by gaining practical experience on campus

What does an A. J. Scholar cohort look like?

From our welcome program in the first year to the final celebration together, the A. J. experience is inclusive. While pursuing individualized plans, A. J.'s together form an unconventional gathering of students eager to support, challenge and celebrate each other’s progress.  

	FALL	SPRING
First-year	Scholars Workshop I course. A. J. small groups, first-year planning/advising	The Great Conversation course; A. J. small groups, four-year academic planning
Second year	A. J. Fall Retreat (leading and calling); A. J. small group vocational exploration; discovering neighbors and communities	Professional preparation; small group service-learning project, cont’d A. J. small group
Final years	Community Asset Projects; Planned space for personal academic and professional features (study away, research, internship, other experiences);   Final term Scholars Workshop II course;   Final year capstone*

Your cohort. You will enter your first year with 12-18 other curiously driven students who share your strong commitment to Christ, love of learning, and desire to impact the world. Alongside your studies in year one, your cohort will enjoy small group fellowship and intentional time of discussion led by seasoned A. J. scholars. Subsequent years offer experiences to deepen relationships within both your own cohort and with the program. 

How is this Scholars program different?

It is highly individualized. The A. J. Gordon Scholars program was created for emerging scholars like you, driven to pursue your God-given curiosity with your emerging talents in whichever areas of learning and professional development you are being called.   

Unlike traditional honors programs packed with additional course requirements, the A. J. Gordon Scholars program is focused on enhancing your own focused curriculum to better serve your unique opportunities at Gordon.  

Planning incorporates: 

• curricular honors options  
• scholarship or research 
• internships  
• campus engagement in athletics, music, theater, missions, ministry, or other areas, and, by developing a practical community asset project with your small group or other campus partners 

What are the significant experiences in the program?

Year One: Building our Foundations 

• Program Orientation Retreat  
  In the first year, A. J. Gordon Scholars share a program orientation retreat the weekend following College Welcome Week. We also begin the process of first-year planning that leads to four-year planning in both academic, personal, and professional development.  

• Scholars Workshop (GHI 010)  
  The Scholars Workshop provides a structured seminar for exploring the program’s five foundations: Strength, Curiosity, Learning, Leading and Faith. These building blocks serve as the basis for each scholar's personalized learning plan and give us a common language to explore those plans together.  

• COR 107 The Great Conversation  
  A. J. Gordon Scholars will also take a special honors section of COR 107 The Great Conversation, a first-year seminar and writing course required for all Gordon students.  

Years Two through Four: Planned Success  

• Second Year Retreat  
  In the second-year, A. J. Gordon Scholars share a weekend retreat exploring leadership, spiritual disciplines, and calling.   

• Community Asset Projects
  Based on shared interests or established needs, scholars are encouraged (as individuals or in teams) to build community partnerships and influence the Gordon community through a focused project. You have a chance to learn the practices of project development and management, teamwork, collaboration, community networking, and advocacy. Projects are a practical learning experience and a means to serve our campus community. Previous projects include: 

  • Church Finder: An Area Church Database
  • The Princemere Academic Journal
  • Trade Fairly Initiative
  • Smooth Health Initiative
• Room for personalized academic and professional experiences.
  Rather than additional courses, we leave maximum room for you to plan a full portfolio of courses, honors programs, study-away experiences, internships, research, and campus engagement in music, theater, athletics, ministry, and mission. You can’t do everything, but you can plan carefully for which commitments are the best complements to your goals.
   

• Leadership through influence that comes from experience  
  Leadership is not defined by a title, but by the character and influence that is shaped through experience. A. J. Gordon Scholars take initiative, we get involved – in our learning, with our commitments, with our community. We lead where we find a community or group that has need. 

• *Research, Theses and Professional Capstones 
  A. J. Gordon Scholars are strongly encouraged to complete a culminating scholarly or professional capstone, Honors Thesis, or internship by graduation, which is often built into the personal learning plan. This is broadly defined to allow creative paths that fit each Scholar’s development journey.