Kace Crawford, who is earning his Bachelor of Social Work, has worked hard to pay his way through school but managed to find ways to turn all of his trials into an adventure.
Hometown:
Chickamauga, Georgia
High School:
Ridgeland High School
Degree objective:
Bachelor of Social Work
Cognitive science minor
Expected graduation:
Fall 2016
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
Highlights: My brightest experiences at UGA include recently embarking on my social work career pathway through my internship at Advantage Behavioral Health, teaching guitar classes at Casa de Amistad, working as a mentor with the Collegebound foster care program, learning psychology, philosophy and social work, watching football games, spending time with friends and visiting my family back home.
Achievements: Though I take great pride in my accomplishments, any amazing part of myself is either a reflection of all the wonderful people who have supported me, or it was once a small part of myself that has been nurtured to full health by them.
My proudest accomplishments include maintaining my Zell Miller Scholarship, completing my cognitive science minor, working after school since I turned 16 to pay for college, working myself to exhaustion for my classes, paying for school for the most part on my own, and finding a major and career that represent my own ideals.
Awards include four Presidential Scholar Awards and Barnett Essay Award nomination.
Current Employment:
Building manager at Scott Hall (since 2013)
Information desk assistant at Tate Student Center (since 2012)
Clinical intern at Advantage Behavioral Health Systems Peer Support Groups (since 2015)
Family Ties to UGA:
I am the first in my family to attend UGA, but we’re all Bulldogs at heart.
I chose to attend UGA because…
UGA is the best public university in the state of Georgia and one of the best research institutions, period. The students and professors are the university’s strongest assets and are genuinely invested in quality education. Also, my home community is full of die-hard Bulldog fans.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
My best times on campus are spent engaged in intellectually and personally challenging classes, enjoying movies in Tate, eating at the Bulldog Cafe, playing Frisbee at the intramural fields or in Myers quadrangle, and exploring our beautiful campus, especially North Campus, the Founders Garden and the new School of Social Work building.
When I have free time, I like…
… to relax with my guitar, play Frisbee, watch movies, play pool and read.
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
Holding a grizzly bear and completing the 35-foot-high ropes course behind the intramural fields (sadly, not at the same time) were both reasonably crazy, but deciding to attend the University of Georgia when I lacked any clear way to pay for school is the most devil-may-care thing I’ve ever done.
Thank you Zell Miller Scholarship, Horatio Alger Scholarship, my bosses in Student Affairs, Mom, Dad and my own hard work and grit.
My favorite place to study is…
Scott Hall aka Niche @ Night
My favorite professor is…
… David Meyers. Professor Meyers is a great role model and mentor in the classroom while making a positive real-world difference through his initiatives with the Fanning Institute for Leadership and Development. One example is the Collegebound Program, sponsored by the nsoro Foundation, which is designed for high school students in the foster care system to have the college experience for a week as well as the chance to learn about opportunities and resources unique to foster care graduates. Thank you, professor Meyers.
I also commend professor Daniel Bloom who changed my perspective on taking the arguments of others seriously no matter how absurd they may seem within my own current understanding. In Dr. Bloom’s class I grew as an individual by truly challenging my theories of knowledge and truth at their roots. Thank you, Dr. Bloom.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
I would pick my family and friends. I’d rather enjoy my afternoon sitting in a rocking chair, content, lemonade in hand, with the people who care about me than listening to the lecturing of a great philosopher or trying to find something in common with a famous celebrity. Family and friends are just as wise and funny and are much more important.
Thank you, all of my heroic friends, for always walking alongside me on my journeys, in person or in spirit, and for building my trials into an adventure.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
If I was guaranteed success, I would write best-selling novels, direct mental health programs and lecture around the world on the cross-sections of psychology, philosophy and social justice.
If money was not a consideration, I would love to…
… strengthen communities to support people with mental health needs, in other words, everyone.
After graduation, I plan to…
… take a long nap. Then, if I have time after the nap, I will get my Master of Social Work degree and become a licensed clinical social worker. I plan to eventually be the director of a mental health program.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
The high school students in the Collegebound program will stick with me for the rest of my life. In my mind, they are the embodiment of intellect, bravery and drive.
