Year/Major? 5th year Senior in Logistics and Supply Chain Management with a minor in Spanish
Hometown? Collierville, TN
What organizations have you been involved in at UT?
Student Alumni Associates
Student Government Association
Sigma Nu Fraternity
Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity
Camp Koinonia
Student Orientation and Leadership Development – Orientation Leader
Emerging Leaders
Senior Gift
Study Abroad – Buenos Aires, Argentina
What was your favorite? With all the different organizations I have been lucky enough to be a part of that is really hard to say! For me it would be all of them! But the one that changed my life the most would be Camp Koinonia. Camp Koinonia is class at UT through the Therapeutic Recreation department that has the goal of helping bring UT students and members of the East Tennessee community with disabilities together. The camp is a week long and students are paired with campers to participate in fun and enriching outdoor activities. I love my Camp K family because of how much they have taught me about life!
Why do you think it is important to be involved on campus? In my opinion it is important to be engaged and active in any community to which you belong. That is part of what makes humanity as a whole work and without working together for the common good, not much can really get accomplished. UT is a community like any other that we have all lived in before and if we all work together we can all grow together too. Getting involved in something, really any of interest to you, helps the whole community grow in strength and awareness. Simply going to class and receiving your degree at the end is just not enough anymore and to make that degree worth more in the long run, being engaged in the academic and social community at UT makes everyone’s degree worth more. Plus it just makes college more…fun!
What activity that you have been involved in do you think has had the biggest impact on our campus? My experience as an Orientation Leader for 2 years with the Student Orientation and Leadership Development office would have to be my pick. A lot of organizations make there difference for our campus and I think they are all necessary in their own way, but for the individual student’s experience Orientation can really make or break someone’s beginning here at the university. There are few organizations that will have such a lasting impact on some students as their freshman orientation and to be a part of that I am honored. I have had fellow students come up to me, sometimes years after I was their OL, and tell me that their orientation experience inspired them to really use their time wisely to take advantage of all the opportunities there are at UT. Its just great feeling knowing that along with our team of OL’s I was able to make some people at UT more comfortable with the transition to college, and even inspire some to excel to new heights!
How has your experience in Argentina changed the way you perceive the world around you? Being outside of our own country really helps you gain perspective on the world and life in general. The biggest thing that anyone can take away from this is that we are NOT the only people on this planet and you do not need to live in the USA to be happy necessarily. The thing I like about Argentina, and South America in general, is the laid back attitude that everyone has. Especially in business which is what I am studying while I am down here there is a huge difference in the way business is conducted. Deadlines are less strict and sometimes deals are based not on just the best price or the “bottom-line” but also on the sense of character that someone gets from the other side. Personal and familial relationships are extremely important and something I say that we could work on in the United States as well. And on a smaller scale I like how the people here aren’t as addicted to fast food and like to have sit down meals together more.
Have the leadership skills you have learned at UT helped you adapt to the culture? Without a doubt yes! My different leadership experiences at UT taught me to be more outgoing and eager to meet people and then also respect people for their unique differences. And going into a situation where I knew absolutely no one and people were from all around the world made it especially important to be open-minded. Even if I had gone abroad without any of my leadership experience I would have learned so much about people considering that Buenos Aires is truly and international city. Going back to the point about getting involved, I would suggest that people use their opportunities at UT where there is less risk of failure in a safe environment so that when you go out into the “real world” you have previous experiences in a variety of social and professional settings.
What has been the best part of studying abroad? Making friends from all around the world has easily been the best part. Seeing South America is great, but seeing it with your friends from different countries makes its a truly unique journey. I did some traveling with some people from Australia, Austria, and Argentina and getting to share and compare our impressions to new things was very interesting considering all of our very different backgrounds. Just living in a big city like BA I have met people from almost everything single country in Latin America and several in Europe. Now pretty much anywhere I go in the world I have someone to call up and ask to sleep on their couch! Could end up being one of the best investments of my life!