Senior Amanda Farmer has been twirling batons since she was three years old. After coming to UGA, she used her skills to help the Redcoat Majorette Line win numerous national titles, and she became a Feature Twirler for the band. She wanted to find a way to add more excitement to the halftime show at UGA football games, so she became the first Feature Twirler to incorporate fire into her Halftime Routine. She is also a skilled researcher, working through CURO with mentor Dr. Erik Hofmeister in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She works as an orderly in the CVM’s anesthesiology department and is the primary author on two research papers. After graduation, she hopes to become a veterinarian.
Hometown:
Bowdon, Ga.
High School:
Bowdon High School
Degree objective:
B.S. in biology
Expected graduation:
Fall 2009
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
As a freshman, I was chosen to be a member of the Redcoat Majorette Line, and I helped to win five national titles at the Collegiate Championships held at the University of Notre Dame. My junior year, I was selected from a national audition for the scholarship position of Feature Twirler for the band. I am a recipient of the Phyllis Dancz Award and Scholarship, which is presented to the most outstanding Redcoat Auxiliary member in leadership and spirit. I am a member of the national honors fraternity, Phi Sigma Pi, and I have served in the elected positions of alumni chair and service chair. As the service chair, I was able to plan and organize a variety of events with organizations such as the Athens Area Humane Society, Athens-Clarke County Animal Control, the Athens Boys and Girls Club, and Relay for Life. I am a member of the Honors Program, as well as a recipient of the Governor’s Scholarship. I am also very involved in undergraduate research through the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, and I am the primary author of two research papers titled “The effects of extubation with an inflated versus deflated endotracheal tube cuff on endotracheal fluid volume in the dog, ” and “Adverse effects after administration of an ionic iodinated contrast media in dogs,” which have been presented at the CURO Symposium and submitted for publication. I am currently working on my Honors Thesis based on my research, and I expect to graduate this December Summa Cum Laude with Highest Honors
Current Employment:
I currently work at the College of Veterinary Medicine as an orderly in the anesthesiology department. While at work, I see a variety of unique and interesting surgical cases, and I also help the veterinary technicians with patient pre-medication and intubation prior to anesthesia. I chose this job because of my pre-vet intentions and because I am especially motivated by the challenge of maximizing patient comfort and stability.
I chose to attend UGA because…
…I wanted to receive the best education for the best price. With offerings such as the Honors Program and CURO, I knew UGA was the right place for me. I was also very interested in becoming a member of the legendary Redcoat Marching Band and, more specifically, a part of the nationally-renowned UGA Majorette Line. Baton twirling has been a major part of my life since the age of three, and being involved with such a prestigious organization has truly been a dream come true.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
…going to the intramural fields to get active! Aside from being the new home of the Redcoat Marching Band practice complex, I love going to the IM fields to run the trails, to play tennis, or to toss around a football or frisbee with friends. I especially love to take my dog, Baxter, to the dog park behind Lake Herrick to play fetch and to meet new four-legged friends.
When I have free time, I like…
…to play tennis or the guitar. Whenever I need a break from school or twirling, there is nothing like hitting a tennis ball to de-stress. And whenever I need to relax, I love to sing and play a few of songs on my guitar between studying.
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
…twirl fire batons in Sanford Stadium. I know how sacred the space “between the hedges” is to the Bulldog Nation, but I believed that incorporating fire into my routines would be an exciting new addition to the band’s field show. I also thought it would help get fans more interested in halftime. I had to go through a long process of convincing various people that I was skilled enough to twirl fire in the stadium. In the end, I became the first UGA Feature Twirler to use fire during the halftime shows.
My favorite place to study is…
…downtown. In between classes, you can often find me in one of the coffee shops downtown, reading and sipping on a caramel macchiato from Starbucks or a two dollar latte from Espresso Royal. Being surrounded by the relaxing atmosphere and the delicious smell of coffee beans really helps me focus and be productive.
My favorite professor is…
…Dr. Erik Hofmeister. He took me under his wing as an undergraduate researcher knowing nothing about me except that I had a curiosity for research and a passion for animal health. He showed me that research extends far beyond the lab bench, and that, ultimately, it is about having the audacity to ask new questions and the boldness to discover the answers. Under his mentorship, I learned the value of clinical research, and I received, in my opinion, one of the best undergraduate research experiences possible.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
…my sister. Since coming to college, I very rarely get to see her aside from holidays and a little bit in the summer. She truly “gets” me, and I would definitely consider her to be my closest friend. She is now a freshman in college, and she was recently chosen to be the new Feature Twirler for her university. I am so proud of all of her accomplishments, and I am happy that I am able to share this year with her as a fellow collegiate twirler.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
…pursue a career in music. Music has always been a love of mine, which may seem odd coming from someone who never played an instrument in the marching band. However, in high school, I was always very active during concert season, and I played the trumpet and the tuba. Since then, I have learned how to play the guitar and the piano. Understanding music has made me a better performer, and it has made me able to better appreciate the amazing talent of the students in the band.
After graduation, I plan to…
…attend vet school. Ideally, I would like to be accepted to the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine because I love Athens. Additionally, I have already met many of the exceptional faculty members and students here while working at the vet school.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
…my very first pregame in Sanford Stadium. Twirling at the collegiate level had always been a goal of mine and to hear the hallowed notes of the Battle Hymn for the first time, while being surrounded by more than 90,000 Georgia fans, was one of the most gratifying and exhilarating experiences of my life.
