My name is Sophie Gilliam, and I am a senior in the Smart Start Nursing Program, which means I am a part of both the College of Nursing and the Honors College at UofSC. I have a minor in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior. I was born and raised in a little suburb outside of Charlotte, NC called Matthews, and love being so close to my family. I am currently working on my senior honors thesis, in which I am researching the impact of racial concordance in healthcare. I recently completed a summer internship at a local Columbia hospital. I worked alongside my registered nurse mentor on a Surgical Trauma floor, and absolutely fell in love with trauma nursing.

When I became a baby Gamecock, I made Carolina home by getting extremely involved with different clubs and organizations on campus to find my people. I currently serve as a University Ambassador giving tours to prospective students. As a Presidential Ambassador, I serve our University Interim President Pastides by helping him host various events for alumni and esteemed guests at Carolina. I am also a member of Delta Zeta Sorority, where I had the opportunity to serve as Vice President of Programs, and Omicron Delta Kappa leadership society. Off campus, I work as a server at Midwood Smokehouse, a local restaurant with the best BBQ in the city of Columbia, but admittedly I may be a little biased.

In my free time, Saturdays in Williams-Brice Stadium cheering on the Gamecocks and tubing down the Congaree River with friends are some of my favorite things to do in Columbia. I firmly believe brunch at Diprato’s is a spiritually awakening experience because it’s that good and you can never go wrong grabbing a “Charlotte” from Carolina Cafe. It really is a bittersweet feeling entering my senior year at a school that has given me so much in the past 3 years, but I am excited to see what my future holds!

Hey everyone! My name is Elor, and I am a junior upper division nursing student. When I was in high school, I always knew that I had a passion for helping others. Around my junior year, I discovered that the best way to help others would be through nursing.

It’s a phenomenal career simply because of the variety of different fields you can go into. I know that if I ever get tired of the bedside, I can always choose a non bedside nursing career like teaching! When I’m not studying for exams or in clinical, I love to spend time with friends, work out, and travel! 

Hi everyone! My name is Julia Shafer, and I am a sophomore at the College of Nursing. I am so excited to get to show a glimpse into my life here! Some of my favorite things to do are studying at coffee shops (I could talk forever about the ones in Columbia), going to the beach, getting ice cream, and painting. I am from Monmouth County, New Jersey, and would consider myself a big Jersey girl at heart, especially when it comes to bagels.

This past summer, I worked as a lifeguard, took a summer class, and worked in a doctor’s office. Coming to school 11 hours away from home was a scary change for me at first, and when it came down to finally leave for school, I was almost going to back out. I am beyond thankful I made the change. UofSC has provided me with so many opportunities to get involved, and I have developed so many connections with people here, making Columbia feel like a home away from home for me.

So far, I have become a part of Greek Life, participated on the Ignite team for Dance Marathon, and joined the Carolina-Clemson blood drive. I hope to continue getting more involved and meeting more people here! In addition to that, coming to college away from home meant I did not know many people here off the bat. For me, that was one of the biggest things to bring me out of my comfort zone and help me grow as a person. I am so excited to take you all along. 

Hello everyone, my name is Ashanti Shepard. I am a freshman here at the University of South Carolina. I am from a small town not too far from campus called Lugoff. I bet many of you are wondering or wanting to know why I chose nursing as my major. Well, I will tell you all about it. Many ppl say nursing is hard and some even back down from the challenge. Nursing is my calling, and I will strive to fulfill my calling. I have dreamed of being a nurse every day since I was a freshman in high school. 

Some of my favorite foods are pizza, pasta, and candy!! My favorite restaurant is Chick-Fil-a. My favorite thing about UofSC is all the nice welcoming ppl! I also enjoy the football games- I love SANDSTORM IN WILLY B!! I have a strong passion for dancing and cheerleading. 

As I conclude on my first blog, I want to leave something with everyone who reads this. Always pursue your dreams and take every opportunity as it is offered and make the best of what you can while it lasts. To all my future nurses and myself, you got this. Don’t let hearing that it is “too hard “ keep you from doing and pursuing what you want to achieve in life.