Where I Come From

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    Where do I come from? The most direct answer to this question is Roswell, Georgia, but I come from so much more. I come from a loving family whose quirks have rubbed off on me, from a town that prides itself with a sense of community, and friends who have supported me from the beginning of time. This familiarity has been with me for as long as I can remember. The most recent change in my life was attending Georgia Tech, but even then I had friends from high school and was a short 30 minutes from home. It was not until now that I have truly been on my own with my world turned upside down; pun intended.

    Before this, my longest trip was with my high school choir where I got the opportunity to travel to Venice to Vienna. It was a week and a half long trip away from home, but studying abroad halfway across the globe for twelve weeks pails in comparison. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and welcome new and thrilling changes in my life. I want to be able to return home feeling fulfilled that I said ‘yes’ to more adventures and rare opportunities.
    As a biology major, the Pacific Program was right up my alley. It combined my love and interest for travel and the incredible ecology of New Zealand and Australia. With these places being geographically isolated, unique species and natural phenomena occur which can’t be seen anywhere else in the world. Ever since I was a little girl, I always had a love for animals, and my interest in science followed me to college. When I was younger I aspired to be a marine biologist, but I know hope to attend medical school and become a physician. Some of my favorite animals are here some including sharks and koalas, and we get the chance to handle some of the wildlife for study and research. This kind of hands-on education would be beneficial to apply what we learn in the classroom to the real world. I hope to gain knowledge that is applicable to my future as well as gaining a newfound sense of independence.

  As I continue on this program, I challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone in more ways than one. I don’t necessarily mean I have to go jump out of a plane on a whim, but I want to talk to new people every day including those in the program and locals. I want to try various foods aside from what I would normally eat in the United States. Finally, I hope to challenge myself academically and apply what I learn to everyday life; not just learn the information for a given test. I know that if I challenge myself this semester abroad, it will be my most memorable semester at Georgia Tech.




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