McNair Scholar
Farragut High School
Knoxville, Tenn.
International Studies, History
Co-founding and executive producing Seeking Refuge (podcast) has been the most impactful experience of my college career. Personally, it opened my eyes to the experiences of refugees around the world and how we need to step up as a global community.
Career plans: My professional aspirations are two-fold: to work on refugee policy and expanding rights of forcibly displaced persons to move where they want, and to work on educating others in the US and Western countries about the realities of forced displacement. I would be happy in an educational, media or policy-related role in a non-profit.
Most impactful experience: Co-founding and executive producing Seeking Refuge (podcast) has been the most impactful experience of my college career. Personally, it opened my eyes to the experiences of refugees around the world and how we need to step up as a global community. I met a few of my very best friends from working on the show, and I have been able to mentor and support ten younger students. Professionally, I learned an entirely new set of media skills and got experience leading a team on a creative project.
Best part of the Top Scholars program: I have always treasured the community support that comes with being a Top Scholar. I love to see other scholars at events or around campus and hear about what they're up to. Also, Jan! Jan has also saved my life on multiple occasions in crises both professional and personal, and I would not have survived without her. I also love getting free food, fun events, support and community on top of no student debt.
UofSC Story: Since freshman year, I have jokingly sent my parents pictures of the Hootie & the Blowfish bricks on the Horseshoe for "luck." It started during our week off for Hurricane Florence. That day, I found the bricks for the first time and sent my parents a photo and an unrelated text that said "Hope we get out of class tomorrow ." Thirty minutes later, we did. This started a personal tradition of taking pictures with those bricks before important events in my college life, to keep my parents in the loop and make them laugh. Those bricks have turned into a place of deeper meaning for me. I have pictures of my friends' and my feet circled around them across four years. I have pictures from a walk I took two days after I broke my foot (also on the Horseshoe). I looked through all of them recently, and I could see myself growing and learning across them. It's better than stealing a brick for sure.