The 无码专区鈥檚 Judy Genshaft Honors College is launching its inaugural Failing Forward Week from Feb. 17-21, aiming to help high-achieving students reframe setbacks as opportunities for growth. The event encourages students to share their experiences with failure, fostering a mindset of learning through mistakes.
The initiative was introduced by National Merit Scholar coordinator Audra Santerre after she attended the National Collegiate Honors Council conference last fall and was inspired by similar programs at other honors colleges.
鈥淚n the minds of high-achieving students, failures often linger longer than successes,鈥� Santerre said. 鈥淢any of us tend to only showcase our best selves and talk about our achievements, but what students don鈥檛 always realize is that their peers are struggling in similar ways 鈥� they just don鈥檛 see it.鈥�
SHIFTING THE NARRATIVE ON FAILURE
Honors student Rachel Weitz and guest host Cayley McCloskey record an episode of the Honor Roll Podcast.
For many Honors students, academic and personal expectations are high, making failures feel more significant. Honors student Rachel Weitz sees Failing Forward Week as a chance to grow.
鈥淔or me, Failing Forward reminds me that you tend to learn more from your failures than your successes,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o this day, I still remember some of the questions I missed on tests in elementary school, and I will never forget the answers because I got them wrong.鈥�
Encouraging students to embrace mistakes is another key goal of Failing Forward Week. Melanie Ryerson, a licensed mental health counselor and Honors affiliate professor, emphasizes the opportunities students might miss if they let fear of failure hold them back.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not learning if we鈥檙e not making mistakes. We鈥檙e not taking risks if we鈥檙e not making mistakes,鈥� Ryerson said. 鈥淥ftentimes, students play it safe and miss out on incredible opportunities 鈥� especially at a major research university 鈥� because they鈥檙e afraid of failing.鈥�
BUILDING A CULTURE OF RESILIENCE
Honors students can share their failing forward growth stories at an installation in the Zimmerman Family Foundation Atrium.
Failing Forward Week also aims to create a supportive environment where students can openly discuss setbacks. By sharing moments of failure, students help one another feel heard, understood, and less alone in their struggles. Weitz hopes her fellow students will use this opportunity to redefine success on their own terms.
This year's events include class discussions, social media activations, the Tampa LLC Dinner with the Deans, faculty lunches, and an interactive installation in the Judy Genshaft Honors College Zimmerman Family Foundation Atrium. Students can contribute to the installation by leaving index cards with their own setback stories to inspire and support their peers.
鈥淚 want students to take away that you don鈥檛 have to conform to other people鈥檚 idea of success,鈥� Weitz said.