Shelby Beckett

Shelby is originally from Thomasville, GA and is a graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders department. She currently works for Babies Can’t Wait here on campus. In her free-time, she likes to hang out with her fiancé, family, and friends, while also planning her wedding that is in December. Once she graduates, she hopes to work in a medical setting as an SLP. She wants to thank her wonderful supervisors for giving her the opportunity to learn new skills and grow as a person. She is honored to be nominated.

Avery Berry

Avery Berry is 24 years old and is from Swainsboro, GA. She is currently working towards her master's in clinical mental health counseling. She has worked at campus recreation for 3 years. She enjoys spending time with her friends and her dog Milo. Avery is so thankful for Campus recreation and her supervisor Elaine Darity.

Ryan James Campen

Ryan James Campen is originally from New Jersey. Here he attended Saint Peter's University where he graduated magna cum laude with two bachelor's degrees in Urban Studies and Anthropology and minors in Social Justice and Biology. The day after graduating, Ryan flew down to Valdosta where he began his journey as a Blazer as an intern with Housing and Residence Life. In August 2019, he began officially attending Valdosta State University where he will be graduating in May 2021 with his Master's of Education in Educational Leadership. During his time as a graduate student, Ryan has worked as a Residence Hall Director in the Office of Housing and Residence Life for two years. His first year he co-supervised Hopper Hall and this year he oversees Georgia Hall with his staff of 16 RAs. Ryan also served as an intern in the Student Diversity and Inclusion Office in the Summer of 2020. This year as the RHD for Georgia Hall, Ryan has created the educational initiative "Georgia Grows". This initiative focuses on educating the students of Georgia Hall about different social justice and identity topics each month revolving around different nationally recognized months and it has been very successful. While serving as a Residence Hall Director, Ryan has contributed to the department of Housing and Residence Life in many ways. He has served on the Student Staff Training and Development Committee and Student Staff Recruitment and Selection Committee. He has also represented the University at the Oshkosh Placement Exchange in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and assisted in the planning and implementation of the Georgia Housing Officers 2019 Conference. Ryan also serves on the Student Affairs Training and Employee Development Committee where he has been able to plan and assist with various training sessions, recognition initiatives, and celebrations. Finally, while completing all these tasks, Ryan also has been preforming research for his Master's Thesis on how LGBT+ students at Valdosta State University find safe spaces. This ties directly into Ryan's passions of working with students and advocacy for students in terms of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts. As Ryan graduates, he hopes to continue working with college aged students at a college or university and continuing to be a strong advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts.

Lauren Corley

Lauren Corley is a second year Graduate Assistant who will be graduating with a Master of Arts in Communication in May 2021. Lauren has served as the Graduate Assistant of Marketing and Wellness Outreach at Valdosta State University Campus Recreation since Fall 2019. Although Lauren’s main focus areas have been Marketing and Wellness programming, Lauren was also tasked with managing and creating Fitness programs for the department toward the end of the Fall 2019 semester and for all of the Spring 2020 semester. Her experience as a graduate assistant has given Lauren the opportunity to grow her skills as a servant leader through opportunities ranging from helping with Freshman Move-In and other large university events to serving as a Conference Volunteer for the 2019 and 2020 NIRSA Region II Conferences. Some of Lauren’s accomplishments as a Graduate Assistant have been doubling the Campus Recreation Instagram following, increasing participation in the 2020 Annual Sweat to Swag competition, and serving on a variety of committees and task forces such as the Wellness Committee, the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force, the Wellness Living-Learning Community formation committee, and Peer Educator Group, with the recent additions of the Division of Student Affairs Marketing Team and the Cultural Responsiveness and Equitable Programs Faculty Learning Committee. Lauren has also maintained a 4.0 GPA in her Masters program and recently presented at the 2nd Annual Prosper Tsikata Research Colloquium. Following graduation in May 2021, Lauren hopes to obtain a career in higher education.

Makayla Cummings

Makayla Cummings is currently attending Valdosta State University pursuing her master’s degree in Communication Disorders. She is currently a Graduate Assistant at the College of Honors & Exploratory Studies. She will be starting her externship this May at Piedmont Hospital in Newnan where she hopes to acquire a full-time job as a Speech Language Pathologist. Makayla has remained on the Dean’s list her entire college experience and graduated with her undergraduate degree Magna Cum Laude. On her off days, Makayla loves to spend time with her family, especially her nieces.

Chyna Doughty

Chyna Doughty is from Wilmington, NC. She graduated from East Carolina University in May of 2018 with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in sociology. ECU is where she found her love for MFT. After graduating, she began working for Coastal Horizons Outdoor Adventure, which is an outdoor ropes course that gives coworkers, families, friends, classmates, etc. a series of challenges that are designed to help them understand the importance of things such as communication, trust, teamwork, and decision-making. This strengthened her desire to further her education in a form of counseling that focused on family and togetherness. Chyna was drawn to the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Valdosta State University after reading about their emphasis on diversity. She has always been big on diversity, open-mindedness, and the acceptance of everyone, so she knew this was the place for her! After completing her degree, she hopes to obtain a license in marriage and family therapy, as well as become a counselor for at-risk communities.

Emily Eversman

Emily is finishing up her second year as a graduate assistant at the VSU Counseling Center. She is working on her Master’s in Education in Counselor Education and is on the School Counseling track. Emily’s career goal is to work with elementary school students at a Department of Defense school. She is passionate about providing every student the opportunity for outstanding counseling services. Emily believes the experiences she has had at the VSU Counseling Center will help her towards her goal and has better prepared her to enter the counseling profession.

Hannah Fisher

I am an eccentric, vibrant individual from Spartanburg, South Carolina. I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management, but I knew my true passion is a career in higher education. My passion led me to a graduate assistant position with the Department of Campus Recreation, and I am first-year graduate student in the Higher Education Leadership program. Every day I am grateful to be part of Valdosta State University, and I am enjoying ever minute of my experience!

Kaitlyn Hunt

Kaitlyn Hunt began working as a graduate assistant for the Honors College in September 2020 after graduating from VSU with a B.S. in organizational leadership. She started college at the age of 15 and is on track to earn a Master of Public Administration in August 2021 at the age of 21. In her free time, Hunt enjoys traveling and gaining unique perspectives in new environments, studying the differences in societies. Upon graduation, Hunt hopes to gain experience in public policy, with the goal to become a public policy director.

Mirakal Jackson

Mirakal Jackson is an alumna of Valdosta State University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Art and a triple minor in Entrepreneurship, Psychology, and Aerospace Studies (military leadership). To gain experience in business management, she started her own business, Walking in Mirakals Art Company. For about ten years, she has been in countless leadership roles while also remaining in the top 5% of her class. These roles include but are not limited to, a two-year Resident Assistant, Flight Commander in AFROTC, Parliamentarian and Senator of Student Government Association, Homecoming Queen, and two-year President of the Caribbean Student Association (CaribSA). Her life has been a showcase of excellence and professionalism. Not only is she a powerhouse in the academic and extracurricular arena, but in the community as well. She funnels diverse resources to serve the needs of those around her. As a volunteer, she has served over 200 hours of community service within a span of four years. She has been able to serve her community by mentoring the youth, promoting diversity and inclusion, advocating for voter registration, empowering domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, celebrating equality and beauty with people with impairments, donating artwork, and more. Most importantly, she has continuously learned what it means to uphold integrity, compassion, civility, and pride in who she is. Her activeness in the community has granted her the opportunity to earn scholarships and awards, but that credit is shared with her partner, peers, and mentors within her support system. All in all, Jackson strives to help people grow and understands the importance of a strong support system. Without it, she may not have been able to overcome life challenges. She loves being of service and has the best interest of her students and mentees at heart. Currently, she maintains a 4.0 GPA in the Master of Public Administration program, and anticipates to graduate this May 2021. Her art portfolio directly aligns with her public administration career goal: uniting communities by igniting healthy conversations about the relevance of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect, welfare, local resources, mentorship, belongingness, equality, and understanding. In society, recognizing the uniqueness of individual differences is the key to embracing positive change. This recognition will loosen tension in communities and allow meaningful conversations about reform. In her free time, she enjoys playing strategy games, listening to music, painting, and writing poetry.

Jessica Joins

Jessica Joins was initially accepted into the master’s program for Industrial-Organizational Psychology, but after taking a course in organizational development she decided to seek out the coordinator for the master’s program in Public Administration. This move led to Jessica doubling up on her majors. During Jessica’s first semester she was hired as a graduate assistant for the Office of Graduate Admissions. During the week Jessica attempts to have all her class assignments completed prior to the beginning of the weekend in her attempts to have a good balance between school and family. Outside of the requirements of her programs, Jessica spends time with her family on the weekends and other down times. Jessica also helps her husband, Brandon, with running his small business by heading up the advertising, social media pages, and online billing. Outside of working Jessica and her family enjoy being outside whether they are fishing, skeet shooting, hiking, or just exploring a new area. Often when Jessica and her family go out exploring, she can be found taking pictures. After graduation Jessica intends on using her degree to work in Human Resources to hopefully plan trainings or ideally as an internal consultant to help better the company overall.

Tenley Kiger

Tenley Kiger came to Valdosta State from Tallahassee, FL in 2014 after graduating from Leon High School. She pursued her undergraduate degree in Communication Arts with an emphasis in Public Relations. During undergraduate, Tenley was involved with Alpha Delta Pi sorority and Lamda Pi Eta, Communications Honor Society. After receiving her undergraduate degree in 2018, Tenley started the Counselor Education Master’s program at Valdosta State to achieve her goal of becoming a School Counselor. During her Graduate program, Tenley started a Graduate Assistantship in the College of Nursing & Health Sciences Advising. During Graduate School, Tenley also participated as a member of the VSU Wesley Foundation while staying active in her own church. After graduation, Tenley plans to pursue a job in Education as a School Counselor, or, look into a career with Higher Education. Tenley wants to thank her supervisor, Mrs. Karen Higgs for affording her this opportunity to be nominated as Graduate Assistant of the Year. Tenley has thoroughly enjoyed her time in academic advising and is so thankful for all she has learned over the past two years

Scot Myers

Scot Myers graduated from Valdosta State University in Spring 2020 with a B.S.Ed. in Middle Grades Education. With a passion for all things teaching and pedagogy, he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the MAESLAT (Master of Arts in English Studies for Language Arts Teachers) program. His working relationship with the Academic Support Center (ASC) began in Fall 2018 when he was hired as a Supplemental Instruction Leader. Scot is currently the Graduate Assistant to the Assistant Director of the ASC and a coordinator of the ASC’s PAL (Peer Alliance Learning) program. He hopes to continue to learn new ways to better support faculty, students, and the employees of the ASC.

Justin Sanchez

Justin Sanchez is currently wrapping up his second year in the Higher Education Leadership program and his second year as a Graduate Residence Hall Director for the Housing and Residence Life department. Over these two years he has been able to expand his leadership and professional development by joining departmental, divisional, and university committees through his assistantship and through his role as the President of the Association of Graduate Students. He has enjoyed his time at VSU because it has helped him take the steps needed to become the professional he aspires to be. He is honored to be nominated for this award among all other outstanding graduate students and is grateful for the support from his family and mentorship from his supervisors who have helped him get to this point.

Kara Smith

Kara Smith is a second year graduate student in the Industrial Organizational Psychology Master’s program here at VSU. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kennesaw State University in the spring of 2019 with a B.S. in psychology. She is currently a board member of VSU student chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and has previously held the titles of president of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and Global Ambassador for Kennesaw State University. Upon graduating in May, she will pursue a career in human resources.

Brea Thomas

Brea Thomas, a Valdosta State alumna, is a native of Brunswick, GA. She is currently a second-year Higher Education Leadership graduate student, who is extremely excited to graduate this semester. For the past two years, she has served as the graduate assistant for the National Pan-Hellenic Council and Multicultural Greek Council. Brea Thomas has also been an active member of the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion during her time here at Valdosta State University. She thoroughly enjoys working with students and aims to ensure all students feel valued and welcomed.

Abigail VanHouten

Abigail VanHouten is a graduate student studying Communication Sciences and Disorders. Abigail completed her entire bachelor's degree here at VSU and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S.Ed in Communication Sciences and Disorders, she loved it here at VSU so much she decided to stay for her master's degree! This is her last semester of classwork before leaving campus for her medical and school internships. She will be attending a clinical rotation with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta- Scottish Rite this summer where she will work with the outpatient rehabilitation team. She will also complete an internship in a school setting before graduating in December. She one day hopes to work in a children's hospital treating feeding and swallowing disorders in the 0-3 y/o population.

Jacob Wood

Jacob Wood is from Dahlonega, GA and holds a Bachelor in Music Education from Young Harris College, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. During his time at Young Harris, Jacob held positions such as Honor Band Coordinator, President of the Collegiate National Association for Music Education Young Harris Chapter, and Treasurer of Mu Phi Epsilon Zeta Kappa Chapter, receiving multiple Fine Arts Department Awards for his contributions including his academic and musical excellence. Jacob is currently a first year master’s student at Valdosta State University, pursuing his Master of Music in Performance. As a Graduate Assistant, Jacob serves as the Crew Chief for the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, Teaching Assistant for the Trumpet Studio and Sonorous Brass Quintet, and performs with the Presidential Brass Quintet. Jacob has performed with multiple high school, collegiate, and professional ensembles. He currently holds a position with Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, has performed with the Albany (GA) Symphony Orchestra, and is a semi-finalist at the National Trumpet Competition as a member of the Valdosta State University Trumpet Ensemble. Jacob also serves as the Principal Trumpet of the VSU Wind Ensemble and Co-Lead Trumpet of the VSU Jazz Ensemble. Jacob’s primary teachers include Dr. Javian Brabham, Paul Poovey, and Dr. John Bryant.

Catherine Yara

International Graduate Student currently finishing her master’s degree in Music Performance at Valdosta State University (2021). Born in Ibague, Tolima (Colombia), where she started her education in music at the age of 5, attending Liceo Musical Santa Cecilia (a primary and secondary school created to encourage music development from an early age), where she served as concertmaster for both the Pre-Infantile Orchestra and the Children’s Symphony Orchestra, both of which offered a number of traditional and classical concerts across the country and abroad between 2003 and 2006, performing in several venues in Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Miami and Toronto, before audiences including local legislative representatives, international diplomats, and the Spanish monarchy. Miss Yara carried out her undergraduate degree at the Pontifical Xaverian University, becoming a member and (in 2010) soloist for their Symphony Orchestra as well as working as an assistant professor for elective subjects from the Music Syllabus between 2014-2015. Invited to guest on the Colombia Symphony Orchestra in 2015, and as a tutor for music programs in the municipality of Tocancipá (2015-2016) and the city of Cartagena (2016-2018), where the experience acquired encouraged her to extend her formal training in Performance under lecturer Dr. Kristin Pfeifer Yu at Valdosta State University (2019). Currently a graduate assistant at the South Georgia String Project, violinist at the Valdosta State Orchestra, graduate assistant at the Music in Film class, teacher assistant of secondary applied lessons at VSU, among others, and awaiting her graduation in Master in Music Performance, due to take place in May 2021.

John Zapata-Lopez