Q: What made you choose the College of Education & Human Development to earn your graduate degree?
A: “I majored in both math and English in my undergraduate career, and I felt that the educational research program at Georgia State was a perfect match because not only do I love reading, but I also have a knack for numbers and patterns.”
Q: What has been your favorite moment during your graduate program (in class, in an internship/experience in your field, etc.)?
A: “Though I haven’t been to campus yet due to COVID-19, I’ve already met a lot of wonderful people. The engagement and interactivity in my online courses made this semester go by pretty quickly. I also love dogs and my professors would tell us funny stories about their dogs – most of them have either featured them on camera or added a PowerPoint slide with photos of their dogs. My advisor, Dr. Audrey Leroux, also hosted an advisee social during the middle of the semester, which I thought was so sweet. She and her dog dressed up as pumpkins!”
Q: What is one interesting fact/detail you’ve learned about the field of educational research?
A: “In my English classes, I was always told that writing in passive voice is bad, but it all depends on the purpose the sentences serve. What matters is to get the point across as clearly as one can. Truly understanding this helped me become more confident in my writing because I always thought I lacked the creativity that I’ve seen in a lot of my peers, who were usually creative writing majors.”
Q: How do you plan to move lives forward after you complete your degree?
A: “I want to someday establish a nonprofit organization that offers education for marginalized groups. It is my vision to help them fulfill their potential and to exercise their rights. We should try our best to broaden our perspectives, even if we may not completely understand each other.”
Q: What’s one fun fact about yourself you’d like to share?
A: “I have perfect pitch so it’s easy to learn new instruments. My boyfriend is amazing at the guitar and we enjoy having worship and jam sessions when we get the chance. I’m generally interested in the arts, so I have also picked up a few hobbies such as calligraphy, jewelry making, customizing/painting shoes and crocheting.”
This story is one in a series on College of Education & Human Development graduate students.