Fifth-year landscape architecture student Mark Bullard is a leader, and he feels much gratitude for his time at UGA. As a participant at LeaderShape 2007, he realized that every great leader needs great followers to be successful, and he has demonstrated his desire to help others through his work for ugaMIRACLE, a campus philanthropy where he serves as the internal director, and as a student of the School of Environmental Design. As part of his coursework in fall 2007 and spring 2008, he and a team of fellow students worked for the Americus, Ga. community to redesign some parks and a college campus. Their story was featured in the March 2008 issue of Georgia Magazine. Outside the classroom, he has been a UGA cheerleader for the football and basketball teams, and he has helped raise more than $321,000 for ugaMIRACLE—which used to be UGA Dance Marathon—to help Children’s Miracle Network to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Additionally, he is working on a research project through the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities to encourage students at the School of Environment Design to submit their work to a national competition which may help showcase the program’s consistent top three ranking nationwide. After graduation, Bullard plans to travel across Europe followed by graduate school in the Southeast.
Hometown:
Marietta, Ga
High School:
Walton High School
Degree objective:
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
Expected graduation:
Fall 2009
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
Most recently, I served the Americus, Ga. community with two independent studies. One was a master park plan, and the other one was a college campus renovation plan. Our team of student designers created a renovated park design for the City of Americus after it had been hit by tornados in March of 2007. At South Georgia Technical College, also in Americus, our team developed a mall master plan for their campus. The college celebrates their history as an Air Force training base during the World Wars, and we were able to incorporate elements of this heritage into the plans. Additionally, I serve as the internal director of ugaMIRACLE, formerly Dance Marathon, a student-run philanthropy at UGA that has raised more than $2 million for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Throughout the year we put on numerous benefits, including hosting some well-known entertainers like Corey Smith. Furthermore, I’ve worked with many fraternities and sororities who graciously contribute to our cause through Greek events such as the Sig Ep Haunted House and the Delta Gamma Low Country Boil. I also was a UGA cheerleader for two years, traveling all over the country for football and basketball games. I am a member of the Blue Key Honor Society, the Sigma Lambda Alpha Honor Society and I was a member of LeaderShape 2007.
Current Employment:
I work for Innovative Outdoors LLC, a landscape design firm based in Duluth, Ga., where I develop master plans for residences and communities. Our firm, comprised of nearly all University of Georgia graduates, was featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last July.
Family Ties to UGA:
My sister, Sarah, graduated from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2005. She now attends law school at the University of Michigan.
I chose to attend UGA because…
…unlike any other collegiate institution in the state, the University of Georgia offers educational opportunities to meet the needs of varied students and to meet the demands of the market to the highest degree. As for myself, I’d prefer to draw or play in the dirt rather than memorize terms, and at the College of Environment and Design, playing in the dirt is not only welcomed but also celebrated for its creativity. The beauty of our academic system at the University of Georgia is that it provides excellent academic, athletic, and philanthropic opportunities to students of all backgrounds.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
…endless. I love to catch up with my friends at the Memorial Garden by the SLC, sit underneath the trees of North Campus, throw frisbee on Herty Field, cheer on my Dawgs at games, watch theatre, attend lectures and concerts at Hodgson Hall, and run the trails of the intramural fields.
When I have free time, I like…
…to visit the Melting Point in downtown Athens for live jazz, blues, and bluegrass with my friends. Besides my love for music, the $3 charge per show is the best deal for live music in Athens, especially at this exceptionally classy location. I highly recommend the jazz nights on Thursdays! It will make you smile and tap your feet because it’s so great!
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
…a tie. I serenaded the Orientation Leaders of 2008 at The Last Resort restaurant with my rendition of “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” from The Lion King. Then I gave them all a toast for their dedication and hard work over the summer and the whole restaurant applauded! The other craziest thing I’ve done was when I broke a snack machine. One of my teachers’ vanilla cookies had gotten stuck, so I offered to “bump” into the machine to get them loose. I did not know how brittle glass is, because on my second attempt I ended up inside the machine as the glass door literally exploded into a million pieces. Fifteen stitches and two hours later, I returned to Caldwell Hall to discover that every snack had been pilfered out of the machine! That teacher and I still joke about those treacherous vanilla cookies.
My favorite place to study is…
…in my room. Every person has their sanctuary where they go to unwind and relax. Listening to music and reading in my leather chair is mine.
My favorite professor is…
…Matt Winston, who is an assistant to President Adams. Though he was never my teacher in a classroom, Matt has taught me through example the meaning of being a gentleman, an outstanding citizen, and a role model to the community. Matt is not the loudest person in the room and he may not be the most recognized, but to those who have been blessed to know him, he is the most highly esteemed and respected.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
…Alton Brown, a chef on the Food Network who graduated from the University of Georgia. I love to cook for my friends and family, and learning from this culinary genius would be a dream come true. Alton has a creative way of mixing culinary knowledge with just plain fun on his TV show, Good Eats.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
…write a hand-written letter to every person in my life who has sacrificed to see me achieve. For example, my parents have no idea how much appreciation I have for their dedication to my success. I’m tearing up now simply thinking about this. Perhaps I wouldn’t fail in writing the letters but rather in conveying my absolute appreciation and gratitude.
After graduation, I plan to…
…travel to the beautiful and historic cities of Italy, drive a German sports car down the Autobahn, explore the numerous wine vineyards of France, travel across the Spanish countryside and enjoy the famous pubs and theaters of England.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
…cheerleading for the Georgia vs. Auburn football game in 2007. Speculation was in the air that Coach Richt had a trick up his sleeve, and we, the cheerleaders, were the first to see what it was as the football players were preparing to run onto the field in black jerseys. The noise from the stands during that moment was so great it was actually recorded on the Richter scale! My loss of hearing is a small price to pay for that unforgettable Saturday in Sanford Stadium.
