Welcome to the second part of The Auburn Creed series! As Jeremy so perfectly described in a previous post, the Creed is a set of ideals that we, in the Auburn Family, all try to live by. While I appreciate The Auburn Creed in its entirety, I connect most strongly to the second stanza:
“I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.”
Growing up, I was never the kid you would find running around on any athletic field winning MVP awards. True story: I was given the “Best Effort” award when I played little league soccer in the third grade. When I discovered this award in a childhood scrapbook many years later, I was: 1) mortified, and 2) entirely convinced that my coaches just scrambled to give me an award that year. “Best Effort” seems like a stretch considering you would most regularly find me, the goalie, daydreaming about doing literally anything other than exerting energy on the soccer field while the offense stayed busy on the other side of the field scoring points. I was what you would describe as an “indoorsy” kid (and now I’m just an “indoorsy” adult). I found solace in the classroom. It’s where I was most comfortable and where I put in my best effort. So from a very traditional sense, the in-class educational experience is where I thrived growing up.
Looking back on my time as an undergraduate student, I’m grateful that Auburn University provided with me endless opportunities to grow as a person and a life-long learner. I want to tell you about three of those opportunities now:
- Member of the Auburn University Marching Band – I encourage you to check out a previous post about the Auburn University Marching Band written by my good friend and colleague, Andrew McGill. Andrew and I were both freshmen in the AUMB back in 2009. He does such a good job of describing the traditions, responsibilities, and magical moments that come with being in the AUMB. For me, this four-year experience taught me what it truly means to be a team player. I was one member of 380, but we could only perform at our best as a group if every single member put their best effort into every practice, every performance, every moment. It taught me the importance of being responsible and punctual: “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re late, we’ve got a problem.” It taught me how to enjoy the fruits of our labor and how to support the Auburn Tigers win, lose, or draw. What I wouldn’t give to run out of the tunnel for a pregame performance one more time…
- Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Juvenile Delinquency Laboratory – For six semesters during my last two years as an undergraduate student, I was a research assistant in the Juvenile Delinquency Laboratory at the Mount Meigs campus. This opportunity gave me the hands-on experience to apply what I was learning as a psychology and sociology double major in a real-world setting. It was where I was introduced to working with and helping a population of young adults who had experienced trauma, violence, and victimization at young ages. It was where I began to learn about our judicial system, the systemic issues and inequities in our country, and my own (now deep-seated) commitment to social justice.
- Peer Advisor in the Department of Psychology – Let me let you in on a little secret. I loved Auburn so much and was so unsure of what I wanted to do after graduation that I took what I like to call – a victory lap. Otherwise known as a fifth year. During this second senior year, I had the privilege of being a Peer Advisor for the Department of Psychology. Among other things, I got to work with our incoming freshmen during their academic advising sessions of Camp War Eagle one summer. This opportunity taught me that my love for Auburn and my love for helping others could come together as a career. This experience led me to a graduate assistantship in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and now to my job as an Admissions Advisor. I continue to do what I love on a daily basis – connecting with prospective students and helping them learn about all of the opportunities available to them at Auburn so that they may grow and evolve as life-long learners themselves.
I am a two-time alumna of Auburn University and I’m back in school for a third round now. I don’t take any moment of learning and growth that I’ve had at Auburn for granted. A big reason why is because of my grandfather. He was born and raised on a dairy farm in a small farming community in South Carolina. He dropped out of school at a young age to work on the farm to help provide for his mother and many brothers and sisters after his father’s death. Though not formally educated, he was one of the most educated people I have ever known. He knew how to fix anything. He would lend a helping hand to those he loved without hesitation. He worked hard until the day he died my senior year at Auburn. He was the embodiment of the Auburn Creed. Every time we spoke on the phone from the time I was in kindergarten throughout college, he would always start off by asking, “How’s school going?” I got to have the formal education that he didn’t. His hard work and sacrifices and that of all others that came before me have provided me with the opportunity to experience Auburn University to its fullest.
So I challenge all of you reading this today to seek out a variety of educational experiences during your time at Auburn University. Don’t be like me as a third grade soccer player and instead earn that “Best Effort” award both inside and outside of the classroom. Don’t take any moment for granted. And be on the lookout for the next part of The Auburn Creed series coming soon!