For seven weeks this summer, East Tennessee State University students Autumn Schoenly and Ella Gruhn called Cambridge, Massachusetts, home.

They studied in Harvard classrooms, lived on campus and met peers from around the world. They explored Boston, experienced some of the nation’s most historic places and discovered new interests — and new confidence in themselves.

Schoenly and Gruhn were among 12 ETSU Honors College students who became the inaugural cohort of a new partnership offering ETSU Honors students the opportunity to participate in a summer program at Harvard University.

The Harvard University Summer Program allows ETSU students to participate in Harvard courses that align with their academic interests and professional goals during three-, four- or seven-week sessions. Students earn academic credit while living in Harvard residence halls and participating in experiential learning and professional development opportunities throughout Boston.

“This partnership is about opening another door for our students and then encouraging them to make the most of everything on the other side of it,” said Dr. Christopher Keller, dean of the ETSU Honors College. “Our students challenged themselves academically, built relationships with people from around the world and experienced a new city and academic environment. We want our Honors students to see that they belong in these spaces and that their ETSU education has prepared them to thrive there.”

Learning beyond their majors

For Schoenly, an ETSU Changemakers Scholar double-majoring in English and Spanish, the experience offered an opportunity to test herself in two very different fields.

Schoenly spent seven weeks taking the class “El Español Hablado ,” which strengthened her confidence speaking Spanish while exploring cultural topics ranging from Mexican women muralists to Cuban cinema. Her second course, “Painting in Time,” returned her to art for the first time in years.

“My Spanish class offered me a space to develop linguistic confidence when speaking a new language,” said Schoenly, a member of the Class of 2028. “My oil painting class was one of the first art classes I have taken in years, and it gave me a new appreciation for art.”

Her education also extended well beyond the classroom. Schoenly met students from across the globe and explored Boston through activities including the Boston Tea Party Museum, a theatrical performance and a Boston Duck Tour.

Being in one of the nation’s most historic cities also changed the way she experienced history.

“The American Revolution is something we talk about in school, but getting to view history coming to life was different, especially on the Fourth of July,” she said.

New perspectives — and new confidence

Gruhn was drawn to the program for both professional and personal reasons.

A member of the Class of 2027 double-majoring in digital media, with a concentration in animation, and German, with a minor in global citizenship, Gruhn saw the Harvard experience as an opportunity to strengthen their preparation for a competitive animation industry. Just as important was the chance to meet students from other countries.

Gruhn had never visited Boston before the seven-week program.

“I have never experienced something so perspective-changing,” Gruhn said. “When it was just us students there, we had formed such a tight-knit community. It blew me away.”

Those friendships continued after the summer ended, with Gruhn remaining in contact with several of the students they met.

ETSU Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, who visited the cohort with ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland and other ETSU officials in June, says experiences like these are an important extension of an ETSU education.

“Seeing our students in Cambridge made clear what this partnership can offer,” McCorkle said. “They were challenging themselves in new academic settings, building relationships with students from around the world and discovering new possibilities for their own futures.

“These are the kinds of transformative experiences we want an ETSU education to make possible — opportunities that broaden students’ perspectives while giving them greater confidence in where their talents can take them.”

That confidence may be one of the most important things Gruhn brought back to Johnson City.

“I feel more confident in my ability to do things,” Gruhn said. “If I was able to go to Harvard, then I am capable of doing so much more.”

Learn more about opportunities available through the ETSU Honors College at etsu.edu/honors/.