Carter Galbraith, a senior biology and psychology major who will be heading to medical school in the fall, has been involved in several student organizations, is an Honors Program teaching assistant and has traveled abroad for three summers to volunteer his services where needed. But if you see him around campus, be sure to talk about Bulldog football with him.
Hometown:
Columbus, Ga.
High School:
Brookstone School
Degree objective:
B.S. in biology, B.S. in psychology
Expected graduation:
Spring 2013
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
My campus involvement has molded my time here and introduced me to some amazing people who have left a lasting impression. Through working with the Dean William Tate Honor Society, Order of Omega, and serving as Blue Key Honor Society vice president, I have had the privilege of learning from individuals who are working to improve campus and the Athens community. I also enjoyed working in the Athens community with UGA MathCounts as coaching coordinator helping to coach math teams at both Coile and Hilsman middle schools. As finance director for Manna Project International, I helped with managing the funding for international spring break opportunities as well as with local initiatives.
Within the Student Government Association, I served as a Franklin senator, associate justice and chairman for the All Campus Allocation Committee where we allocated close to $2 million in student fees. Within my fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, I served as corresponding secretary and recording secretary, organizing new member education, graduate relations, philanthropic events and all risk management. And lastly, I have served the Honors Program as an Honors teaching assistant where I am a peer mentor for first-year Honors students.
Through the Bradley Turner Leadership Scholarship and the Honors International Scholarship I have been able to travel each year of my undergraduate career to volunteer abroad. Through International Service Learning, I was able to travel to San Ignacio, Belize, and serve the rural community’s health care needs for two weeks after my freshman year. Sophomore year, I traveled to Sangolqui, Ecuador, to serve with a Manna International team volunteering with nonprofits to help a community with agricultural sustainability and childhood education. However, this past summer was by far the most defining experience of my life as I was able to serve in an HIV/AIDS clinic near Cape Town, South Africa, for more than two months. This experience not only solidified my goals of a career in health care, but also exposed me to the complications and research related to the worldwide pandemic of HIV/AIDS.
Current Employment:
I work for the University of Georgia Athletic Association as an academic tutor working with students on classes in chemistry, organic chemistry, genetics, microbiology, physiology, psychology and biology.
Family Ties to UGA:
I am the proud first member of my family to attend the University of Georgia but am currently working to convince one of my younger sisters, Claire, to commit to the best four years of her life. Hopefully, I will be able to start a tradition in the Galbraith family.
I chose to attend UGA because…
… of the Honors Program and the Bradley Turner Leadership Scholarship. The University of Georgia has provided me with opportunities I never thought possible and has truly molded me as a person. I was always attracted to the great deal of diversity in opportunities available, but the Honors Program provided further structure that has made the university seem much more personable. UGA was the perfect combination of academics and campus involvement.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
… peruse Tate Plaza to gain a sense of what is happening on campus, grab lunch with people between classes, talk all things UGA football with random people and, of course, attend all football games.
When I have free time, I like…
… to play a round of golf, spend time catching up with friends and do just about anything outside. I prefer to use my free time by escaping the hustle of everyday emails and worries to get away from it all and relax.
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
Because of my love for the outdoors, I am always looking for a new adventure or the opportunity to try something new. I have traveled abroad, which has afforded me the opportunity to sky-dive in Swakopmund, eat insect delicacies in Windhoek, cage-dive with white sharks, snorkel the Belize barrier reef and hike the dunes of the Namib Desert. However, the craziest thing I have done was complete a triathlon in near freezing conditions outside of Bozeman, Mont. It is because of those water temperatures that I have not been swimming since.
My favorite place to study is…
… in the science library on South Campus. I have studied in the same corner of the third floor since freshman year and it seems to be a habit I just can’t break.
My favorite professor is…
… without a doubt, Karl Espelie. I would not be where I am today without his guidance and encouragement throughout my undergraduate career. He selflessly serves his students and helps them every step of the way along their path to success. As both an adviser and instructor, he has taught me so much about the opportunities available to pre-med students and the best course of action to achieve my goals of attending medical school. Additionally, he has always been available to lend an open ear and talk about anything I need.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
… my family. Having three siblings makes it tough for everyone to be under the same roof at once. An ideal family afternoon would consist of playing a round of golf with my dad and grandfather followed by a home-cooked dinner. However, if I could invite a special guest to dinner, I would invite my maternal grandmother, a woman I never had the opportunity to meet. It would be an honor to meet Missy Espenshade, who has had such an impact on our family through the actions and values of my mom.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
… travel the world without any financial constraints or time limit. I would start in Southeast Asia and work my way around Eurasia before traveling throughout Africa. I would then make the jump from Cape Town to Patagonia before making my way back through South America and Central America to Athens, Ga. I would hope to experience the different cultures and volunteer in local health care and educational systems.
After graduation, I plan to…
… attend medical school in the fall.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
… the 2012 SEC championship football game. It was without a doubt an emotional roller coaster of a game but an incredible experience that I got to spend with some of my closest friends. At the end of the game, I was without a voice and covered in bruises from scaling several aisles of seats to celebrate Alec Ogletree’s blocked field goal return for a touchdown. However, what I will always remember is the reaction of Dawg Nation celebrating and praising the effort of the players and coaches, especially in their welcoming of the team buses upon arrival back in Athens. Beating Florida twice wasn’t bad, either.