Hometown: Leesburg, Georgia

Major: Junior Special Education major

Graduating: May 2024

Why did you choose to attend GSW?
I chose GSW because it was a good distance away from home but enough distance to give me time to grow on my own. I fell in love with the campus scenery and the fact that GSW was a lot of my previous teachers' alma mater helped me to choose GSW. It gave me the "home away from home" that I needed to enhance my college experience.

Please list your University highlights, achievements, leadership and awards.

• Dean's List, 2 Semesters
• Thunder Camp Counselor (2021)
• Thunder Camp Student Director (2021-2022)
• Residential Leader (2021-2023)
• Student Engagement Team (2021-2022)

Tell us more about something you’re involved with on campus.
I am part of Canes Leading Canes (CLC), one of the leadership programs on campus. I am biased, but it is the best one because, as a CLC, I can interact with all students on campus, from the high school students visiting on Preview Day to the seniors who are graduating. The CLC program has helped me build and expand my leadership skills more than I personally thought I would.

Why did you choose your major?
I chose Special Education because I love helping others and seeing the "aha" moment when someone succeeds. I want to be a part of that "aha" moment and help students be relieved of learning frustrations. I want to meet students where they can be successful and continue to help them set the bar for success.

What have your learned (or are learning) that has made the biggest difference for you?
The one learning experience that has made the most significant difference for me was serving as Thunder Camp Student Director. For Thunder Camp to be so new at GSW, it was a roller coaster with all the ups and downs of redoing the schedule so many times, listening to a staff debriefing, and having a student say that they were glad to go. It was an experience in that I learned the good, best, bad, and ugly lessons.

What advice do you have for incoming students?
Find a balance with your involvement during college - don't get too involved and burn out. Never think that you have to do everything to get the college experience you are looking for. Also, if you think there's "nothing going on" on campus, then you need to check the Instagram pages for GSW and if you live on campus look at the flyers on your hall door.

What have you learned from other GSW students?
From other GSW students, I have learned that a simple "How are you?" can change someone's whole day around for the better. The key is to intentionally listen and be prepared for what they may say because college is hard, but it's worth it.

What is your favorite series to binge watch? Why?
New Girl, because I feel like me and the main character Jess have a lot in common. From the physical features - brown hair and blue eyes - to the personality traits like dad jokes and passion for teaching.

Posted December 6, 2022