High School: E.A. Laney High
Hometown: Wilmington, NC
Degree Objective/Major: Finance, International Affairs
List personal highlights at the UGA:
Club Tennis Team; Hispanic Students Association, Model United Nations- Director UN Economic & Finance Committee, Roosevelt Institute- Chair of the Executive Board, former Executive Director, CURO Presenter (American Investment in a Post-Castro Cuba, The Importance of American Developmental Aid to Nicaragua), Presidential Scholar, Tutor for UGA/CLASE at Oasis Católico Santa Rafaela, Peer Financial Counselor, FFSAC, Red & Black Columnist, Finance Intern- North Carolina State Ports Authority, Consular Intern- U.S. Embassy, Managua, Nicaragua, Legislative Intern- Office of (then) U.S. Senator Barack Obama, Volunteer- Presidential Transition Team; Policy Strategist for Economic Development- Roosevelt Institution (National Office); Intern- Economic Policy Institute; Participant- Roosevelt Summer Academy.
Questions:
Why did you choose UGA?
When I was a high school senior, I knew I wanted to attend a school with top-notch academics, though I also wanted a "traditional college experience." With these criteria, the choice was clear: UGA offered the most comprehensive range of opportunities to undergraduates. To put it simply, UGA has the best of all worlds with the Honors Program, the perfect college town of Athens, and the benefits of having 33,000 students. There is really no where else in the country where you can take classes with preeminent scholars and tenured professors, attend football games with 93,000 of your closest friends, engage in substantive academic research, listen to fantastic live music, and have access to over 500 extracurricular organizations. UGA really can't be beat.
My favorite things to do on campus:
Read books (mostly non-fiction) and print media (especially the New York Times and the Economist) around north campus, engage in discussions with my professors, friends, and classmates, and listen to guest lectures. One of my most memorable experiences on campus was listening to Paul Begala outline his analysis of the 2008 presidential campaign.
My favorite place to study is:
The main library. I can focus best by studying in a quiet, isolated environment and there is simply no place on campus that can offer those qualities like the main library. I am in there almost every day, set up around one of my few choice window desks.
What is student life like at UGA?
Life for undergraduates at UGA is fairly heterogeneous. There are so many different opportunities for students to pursue that you can really dive into anything you want. Personally, I spend the majority of my time on my academic commitments and work with the Roosevelt Institution, the University's student-run think tank. I am also active with other extracurricular activities, such as UGA's Model UN Team and the Club Tennis Team. Outside of these organized activities, I enjoy spending time socializing with my friends, roommate (my brother), and girlfriend.
My favorite Professor is:
Dr. Maurits Van der Veen in the International Affairs department. Professor Van der Veen is a terrific lecturer as he does a tremendous job relating academic discussions to contemporary global politics and economics. On a more personal level, Professor Van der Veen is quite receptive to students; for example, I have had the pleasure of having many informal conversations with him about my studies and current world events.
After graduation...
I plan on pursuing a career in international economic development and investment. I would very much enjoy working for an international financial institution as an analyst or political researcher; though a career in the private sector doing similar work would also be gratifying. What I like best about UGA is: the student body. It may sound a bit cliché, but the composition of the university is its biggest strength. My experiences with my peers at UGA have catalyzed significant personal and professional development. I feel very fortunate to have spent the last three years of my life with such a dynamic and engaging group of people.
The UGA experience I will always remember is:
The incredible travel opportunities I have had. After my freshman year, I participated in UGA's study abroad program in New Zealand. There, I gained class credit in international affairs and ecology and experienced the natural wonders in the land of the Kiwis. Upon the conclusion of the program, I ventured to Australia and later to Fiji for a few more weeks of adventure. Next, over my spring break of 2008, I traveled to the island of Borneo (Malaysian side) with Dr. Pete Brosius, Professor of Anthropology, and studied the sustaining native cultures and the relationship between modernization and environmental and cultural preservation. Then, last summer, I spent two and a half months interning in Managua, Nicaragua. Most recently, I traveled in March of 2009 to South Korea on a trip led by Dr. Hyangsoon Yi, Professor of Comparative Literature, in order to study Buddhism.
