Shril Panchigar
Shril Panchigar of Salisbury, an honors student at Wor-Wic Community College, is this year’s $500 faculty honors scholarship winner.
Selection is based on scholastic achievement and an essay competition judged by the honors program committee at Wor-Wic. Applicants were required to write a four-page research-based argumentative essay on the significance of hashtag activism and whether it is productive or just a way to make individuals feel better about themselves. Panchigar’s award-winning essay argued that using social media as a platform for activism is an excellent way to be productive and creative because users can coordinate real life events, such as campaigns and protests, raise awareness about controversial issues that do not get wide media coverage and gather funds for causes to help others.
He said he was drawn to the honors program because the challenges help build strong analytical and creative thinking skills that are necessary to be successful in future educational and career goals.
“By being in the honors program, I am acquiring and broadening my skills,” Panchigar said. “Through the extensive interaction and communication between students and teachers that the honors classes offer, I have learned how to be an effective and assertive communicator. The honors sociology class I am taking this spring has totally changed the way I perceive the world.”
After completing his computer science degree at Wor-Wic, Panchigar plans to transfer to a four-year institution and earn a bachelor’s degree in the same field.