Hometown: Waynesboro, GA
Year: Senior
College: College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Major: Agricultural and applied economics
Internship Unit: Small Business Development Center
Have you had any internships?
I interned with the National Agriculture Statistics Service this summer, and will continue to work part-time for them this fall. I assist in statistical analysis for different surveys which NASS conducts. I also set production estimates for various commodities in the states of Georgia, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina, and produce weekly crop production and condition reports.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years I hope to have completed a masters and maybe PhD in agriculture and applied economics and be working as a commodity trader or market consultant. I would like to be very active in my local church and community, and perhaps starting a family by that time!
Why did you apply for PSO Scholars?
I applied for PSO Scholars because I love to be involved, and I am an extremely curious person! Growing up on a farm in Burke County GA, many of the activities my friends and I participated in were available in large part due to support from the university system. I want to learn more about the different roles the university fills as it helps develop the state of Georgia, and how I can further the university’s PSO mission to serve communities around the state like my hometown.
What excites you most about your unit?
I am passionate about small businesses in Georgia, and I am excited to work for a semester supporting them at the SBDC! My father owns his own company and growing up many of my friends’ parents owned their own farms as well, so I have a deep appreciation for the value small businesses add to the Georgia economy.
What do you hope to get out of this experience?
By the end of this fall I hope to have a complete, basic understanding of all the communities the University System of Georgia directly impacts, and some of the services that it provides. I want to learn how I can support the PSO as a student and as a working member of my community in the future, and would like to learn how I can advocate on behalf of these units which have positively impacted my life.
Why is service and outreach important to you?
To pay my way through college, for three years I took classes online while working full-time for my local congressman. In that job I spent a lot of time learning about the various ways a community can improve itself, whether by improving the education or healthcare system, through the recruitment of new businesses or by improved local government cohesion. Through that experience I came to understand that no community can improve unless there is a committed group of people willing to volunteer their time, serve, and lead their community without thought of how they might personally gain. It’s important to me that I always be involved in service and volunteer projects, because only by placing others’ needs before our own can we find true purpose, meaning and joy in life!
Fun fact:
I have four brothers and four sisters! Having grown up in a large family is such an integral part of my identity, it developed me into the person that I am today. To have such a large support group who know me completely and will experience all of life with me is one of the greatest blessings I could’ve ever been given.
The PSO Student Scholars traveled to Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, where they got to learn about horseshoe crabs.
The Public Service & Outreach Student Scholars program provides the opportunity for a select cohort of undergraduate students to explore and engage with the University of Georgia’s public service and outreach (PSO) mission. Supported by the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, and administered through the Office of Service-Learning, this year-long program is intended to provide deeper understanding of PSO’s purpose, breadth, and depth through supervised service experiences with PSO and communities, to help students link their public service experiences with their career and educational goals, and to create a community of student scholars who understand the role of public service in Georgia and more broadly.
