Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

Major: Senior English major

Graduating: May 2021

Why did you choose to attend GSW?
GSW has exceptional faculty and students, and I love attending college in the town I've lived in for several years. 

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

• GSW Concert Choir, 2 years
• GSW Chamber Choir, 1 year
• GSW Concert Band, 2 years
• Chunnel Club, 2 years
• President's List, 1 semester
• Dean's List, 2 semesters
• Academic Achievement, 6 semesters
• Writing Consultant at GSW Writing Center, 2 semesters

What would people be surprised to know about you?
This is my third time attempting to earn a degree at GSW. My life has had a lot of traumas, but each time I failed, I got back up again, and I have never given up on my dream of earning my undergraduate degree at GSW. This time around I've excelled, and recently I applied to graduate Spring 2021. I want anyone who has ever failed in his or her life (and honestly, that's all of us at some point) to know it's never too late to rise up in the face of hard challenges and adversity. And you're never too old to dream and achieve.

Tell us more about something you’re involved with off campus.
I sang with the Albany Chorale for a few seasons, and I performed in two productions with the Sumter Players locally. This year I started attending Fellowship Baptist Church here in Americus.

Who is your favorite professor or staff member and why?
I absolutely love all of our faculty in the department of English and Modern Languages here at GSW, as each professor brings something special to our classes; however, I found a true mentor in Ms. Blue Argo, who has helped me see the creative potential in my writing talents. I've taken four English courses with her, and each time we meet for class, I learn something new and profound that alters the way I view creative and academic writing and scholarship.

What is your plan after graduation?
After I graduate this Spring, I hope to begin a program to earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing with a Graduate Certificate in the Teaching of Writing. The program I want to attend will take three years to complete, and I would like to work full- or part-time while working to earn my graduate degree.

What advice do you have for incoming students?
The friends you'll make at GSW will be people you'll know and love for the rest of your life, so don't be afraid to reach out to your classmates. Consider joining a club or pursuing something creative like singing in the University Choir. Your college experience will be more fulfilling the more active and involved you are. It makes school more fun too.

Who is your favorite author? Why?
As an English Major, I find this to be such a great and difficult question. My world-view has been altered by authors such as Toni Morrison, Philip K. Dick, and Homer. My personal favorite author, for right now at least, is probably Margaret Atwood because I've never read anything by her that didn't challenge me while at the same time giving me a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.