Layah A. Khalif

In 2017, I applied to and was accepted as one of sixty students to the cohort of Honors College Advocates. Dressed in khakis and a purple polo, Advocates work directly with faculty and staff to recruit academically motivated high school students, assist incoming Honors College freshmen with their transition to college, and to promote the Honors College to campus affiliates as a whole. As an Advocate and a student recruiter, I have truly become a representative of this university while developing my leadership, public speaking and communication skills. 

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Since being inducted into this organization, I have engaged in multiple speaking engagements where I have shared my Honors College journey to hundreds of prospective students and parents. I have served at many recruiting events, including student receptions, French House tours, Kickoff LSU, Destination LSU, Academic Showcases, and Spring Invitational. During these events, I greet prospective students and their parents, answer questions about the Honors College and its programs, tour them through the facilities that comprise our Honors Campus and assist students in constructing their first semester class schedules (during SPIN in particular). I have even called students directly!

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Not only do the Advocates, and myself, participate in on-campus recruitment events, we also reach out to prospective Honors students through Tiger Calls and high school visits to answer questions about LSU or the Honors College and provide information. We also serve as mentors to students once they do finally make their decision to attend this university. We are integral in both their decision-making process as well as their acclimation process to college life. 

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My goal is to ensure these students have an enriching experience in college while maintaining academic stimulation and excellence. The Honors College at LSU has offered me so many great opportunities and was ultimately what drove me to attend this university. I truly love speaking to students about my time here in hopes of influencing their future directions in life.