Some of the California State University system’s best and brightest students presented their projects today at the sixth annual California State University Honors Consortium Student Conference, an all-day gathering held in the University Union. It was the first time that Sacramento State had hosted the event, which nearly 200 students attended.

Over 30 students from throughout California put their original research on display, including oral presentations on science, engineering, medicine, and the arts and humanities, according to a press release from Sac State’s Public Affairs Office.

The conference also included students from local high schools like John F. Kennedy High School in Sacramento, who are members of the Programs of America and California Explorations and are expected to continue their honors education at Sac State, according to Roberto Pomo, director of Sac State’s Honors Program.

The CSU system holds the conference annually so that students from its campuses can share their research with each other.

“We’ve been preparing for this for?a whole semester and two months,” said Pomo.

All honors program members are eligible to apply for the chance to deliver their papers. Directors of various academic programs then evaluate the submissions.

“It is not a competition,” Pomo said. “I want to be clear about that – it is not a competition, but rather an opportunity for us to really share in the research and ideas.”

Jason Oneto, freshman communication studies major, said that he decided to submit his paper because he heard that the honors classes were smaller and gave students more individual attention.

Honors Program students also receive a scholarship of up to $500 during their freshman year. “That was a major incentive,” Oneto said.

Pomo attributed the success of the conference to students’ hard work and involvement.

“Each one of them has had a specific area of responsibility, and so the planning process has been outstanding just because our students made it happen,” Pomo said.

Julia Baum can be reached at [email protected].