Jacqueline Dement came to UGA looking for a traditional college experience and she has certainly experienced the best of what the university has to offer. Jacqueline has used her energy and enthusiasm to cheer on the football team, to encourage cancer survivors, and to make a difference in the lives of young children at the Pauldoe Street Boys and Girls Club. After graduating this summer with a degree in accounting, she plans to intern for Ernst & Young in Atlanta and study abroad before completing her masters of accountancy.
Hometown:
Germantown, Maryland
High School:
Quince Orchard High School
Degree objective:
B.B.A. in accounting
Expected graduation:
August 2010
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
As a senior in high school, I was chosen to be a member of the all-girl cheerleading team sponsored by UGA Athletics. After spending an amazing year in the Spirit Program and receiving a Varsity letter, I began serving in different capacities on campus. The UGA Chapter of NAACP recognized me as a University Freedom Fighter at the annual NAACP Image Awards. In the following year, I was co-chair of the Image Awards and brought Rep. Alicia Thomas Morgan to campus as the keynote speaker. Another highlight of my UGA experience has been working with the Georgia Recruitment Team and the Office of Admissions. It is such a great feeling to hear that someone chose to attend UGA because of the insight you offered them about the UGA experience. I enjoy serving on panels, having lunch with admitted students, and attending events where I can meet new students. Other highlights include serving as treasurer for my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, working with the National Association of Black Accountants, the Terry College of Business and programming for the university with the Abeneefoo Kuo Honor Society. I know my college experience would not have been as enjoyable if I didn’t attend UGA. The faculty, students and Athens itself have given my the best college experience, and I will always be a proud Georgia Bulldawg!
Current Employment:
I am the University of Georgia representative for Microsoft Xbox 360. I spend a couple hours a week planning events for Xbox 360 and promote Xbox’s newest features. Another representative and I have planned events with UGA sororities and fraternities, student organizations and other brand marketing groups. I am also an Ernst & Young campus ambassador and I help increase awareness about the opportunities the Big 4 have to offer.
I chose to attend UGA because…
…I wanted the traditional college experience. I was looking for a nationally ranked school outside of my hometown in Maryland, a large campus, well-known athletic program, and a chance to start a network near a large city. After visiting UGA in the early spring, I tried out for the Spirit Program sponsored by UGA Athletics and landed a spot. UGA instantly offered me something that other schools I was accepted to didn’t, a family. I knew from the moment I was chosen for the team that I would have a family away from my own biological family in Maryland. Aside from the cheerleading team, UGA offered one of the best accounting programs for public universities. The J.M. Tull School has produced CEOs, CFOs and partners of accounting firms, and I wished to follow in their footsteps.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
…visit friends on North Campus and enjoy the festivities at Tate Student Center. On sunny days, North Campus steals a lot of my free time. Another great thing about campus is Tate and all the free food, music and festivities happening there. I have had my name written in Arabic with henna and even taken a picture with a camel two years in a row at Tate. There is always something fun going on at Tate, and I can always count on the free food to get me through my next class.
When I have free time, I like…
…to eat out at restaurants in Athens. I am a huge fan of trying new foods and over the years have learned that Athens has hidden spots. Downtown Athens has a lot of great food finds, but venturing off of Broad Street and into the neighborhood spots is where you can find me. Authentic Mexican and Indian cuisine are my favorite, but I also enjoy the usual soul food. The meal plan allowed me to taste foods of all cultures, and now I want to take my restaurant tour of Athens into foreign countries.
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
…sing Destiny’s Child “Survivor” at Relay for Life in 2009. My sorority, AKA, was invited to perform a step routine at relay and during the performance we all danced to “Survivor”. Towars the end of the performance, I grabbed the microphone and began singing Beyonce’s verse. It was crazy to sing since I am not a natural singer, nor trained, but it felt great to sing for all the cancer survivors and the relay participants.
My favorite place to study is…
…the Reading Room in the Miller Learning Center. It is a silent room so I am always very productive. Whenever I need to take a break, I can enjoy the view of central campus with the large open windows. Whether its raining or sunny, I always sneak away to the reading room for a couple of hours of intense studying and a room full of open windows!
My favorite professor is…
…Dr. Dan Smith. He is my intermediate 3 accounting teacher and has taught me for the past year. Dr. Smith has instilled an enormous amount of inspiration in me. In the classroom, he breaks down some of the most complicated accounting issues. His class is more than just a lecture, and students are always in for real life examples of accounting pertaining to his life. Dr. Smith is someone who I trust to give me solid advice and guide me in the path of success. Dr. Smith is an unforgettable teacher and he reminds me of my father.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
…Malia and Sasha Obama. I think that it would be very neat to see what they have to go through as children of the President of the United States. My hometown is not far from the private school that the Obama daughters attend and I would like to know how their days run. I can’t imagine that they can freely go to the mall or have a sleepover at the White House. Based on what I have seen in the past, the children of the president are sometimes in the media for different reasons and I want to hear what advice President Obama gives to them on that issue.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
…reconstruct all the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. As a member of the Eta Xi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, I have committed some of my time to serving the Pauldoe Street Boys and Girls Club in Athens. Spending afternoons with the children of the BGC has shown me that with more funding and resources, BGCs could do so much more for impoverished children. With more funding, the kids would be able to see their potential and view the BGC as their second home. I noticed that family issues have hindered the children from aspiring to be doctors, lawyers and veterinarians. If I were able to take a couple years out of building my own career, I would help the children of the BGC start developing the tools necessary to be the doctors and lawyers of the future.
After graduation, I plan to…
… intern for Ernst & Young in Atlanta in the tax practice and attebd UGA’s master of accountancy program with a concentration in taxation. I also plan to study abroad in a European or Asian country before finishing the masters program.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
…cheerleading at the Georgia Tech football game in 2006. It was 4th quarter with 1 minute and 45 seconds left in the game. I can remember my cheerleading team doing triple backtucks to get the crowd excited and hoping that Massaquoi would catch the winning touchdown pass from Stafford. Stafford threw the pass and Massaquoi caught it for the win (12-15). I had never experienced such an amazing, close game and I was standing 2 feet away cheering my heart out in Sanford Stadium.