From the moment she stepped foot on the campus, Sarah Huber could tell that UGA was the perfect place for her. Nearly four years later, the future dentist calls the journey an “extraordinary experience.”
Hometown:
Athens, Ga.
High School:
Bishop Watterson (Columbus, Ohio)
Degree objective:
B.S.A. in biological science, B.S. in psychology
Expected graduation:
Spring 2015
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
Throughout my four years at UGA, I have experienced significant development in my character and drastic change in my approach to life. I entered college with an outlook that was enthusiastic, yet full of uncertainty in my surroundings and in my hopes for the future. Today, my recent acceptance to dental school and each of the incredible relationships I have formed at UGA serve as reminders of the extraordinary experience that this university has provided me over these past four years.
During the spring of my sophomore year, I made the decision to co-lead a Global Health mission trip to Costa Rica through International Service Learning. My experience in Costa Rica not only helped improve my communication skills with patients and my understanding of health care in impoverished areas, but witnessing their simple existence, in combination with their endless happiness and generosity, gave me a new appreciation for the life we so often take for granted. Beginning the fall of my junior year, I was selected by ISL to become the UGA campus representative and through this position, I have guided students in planning and recruiting teams for their own trips throughout Central and South America.
When I developed an interest in pursuing dentistry at the end of my sophomore year, I became involved with the Pre-Dental Society at UGA. One year later, I was elected as a dental school liaison for the Pre-Dental Executive Board, which has given me the opportunity to meet admissions officers from a variety of dental schools throughout the U.S. Another highlight of my college experience has been joining Be the Match at UGA, first as a potential donor, then later as the vice president for the organization. Be the Match manages the largest bone marrow registry worldwide and aims to provide bone marrow donors to patients suffering from life-threatening blood cancers.
Since my junior year, I have thoroughly enjoyed opportunities that have allowed me to assist underclassmen in adjusting to the demands of the college lifestyle. I was given this opportunity by serving as a Panhellenic recruitment counselor two years in a row, in addition to serving as a member of the Georgia Recruitment Team. As a member of GRT, I have met with high school seniors and their families both on campus and as far away as Columbus, Ohio, (where I am originally from) to discuss my experiences at UGA and to offer suggestions on organizations, study abroad trips and courses that best fit their interests. Furthermore, I have also served as the academic chair and standards board representative for Kappa Delta sorority, which has allowed me to meet with individual students to discuss their academic goals and challenges for each semester.
UGA and the surrounding Athens community offer an array of volunteer opportunities, which has provided me the opportunity to discover service roles that fit my specific interests. A key experience throughout my college years has been serving as a classroom leader at Athens Church, where I worked with 2-year-olds as well as preschoolers. Another organization that has brought me great joy is Athens PB&J, where a group of UGA students prepare and serve lunch to the homeless population of Athens every Sunday.
Additional highlights throughout my college years include induction into Order of Omega and Alpha Epsilon Delta, the premedical honor society. Upon entering AED, I was awarded the Rising Senior Scholarship. The summer after my junior year I traveled to Australia and New Zealand and shortly after returning, I was recognized by UGA Discover Abroad for my photography of the dusky dolphins in Kaikoura, New Zealand.
Current Employment:
Student assistant for math department and student tutor for the athletic department.
Family Ties to UGA:
I came to UGA from Columbus, Ohio, having no prior connections to the university. UGA has become such a home for me that I recently became a Georgia resident and I plan to remain in Georgia for both dental school and my career to follow. I have a strong feeling that my sister will continue the tradition and join the Bulldog family just a few years down the road.
I chose to attend UGA because…
Traveling down for an hour self-guided tour of the campus, I was blown away by everything that UGA offered. The spirit of the UGA community was incomparable to anything I had experienced at any other university, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences offered a challenging and dynamic curriculum for my interests, and the warmth of the individual faculty members within such a large university captivated me.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
… grabbing coffee before going on long walks with friends on North Campus and running through the trails around Lake Herrick.
When I have free time, I like…
I love being active, whether that is swimming, hiking or snowboarding, and I especially like to spend time outside with my family and close friends. I also thoroughly enjoy baking for people and trying new recipes.
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
I don’t know about the craziest, but the most surreal experience for me took place over my 16th birthday when I flew with my dad in the cockpit over various Caribbean islands and afterward, we had a family dinner in the old summer home of the British royal family.
My favorite place to study is…
… around the turtle pond outside of the ecology building.
My favorite professor is…
Once in awhile someone comes into your life whose mere presence encourages you to strive to become the greatest version of yourself, and to dream of future plans you may have never before considered. That is exactly what I have found in Karl Espelie. He single-handedly has had a greater impact on my experience and growth throughout my years at UGA than any other individual at this university. His willingness to spend hours in an advising session with each student, his genuine enthusiasm for the small achievements in my life that others so easily overlook, the wisdom and guidance he shares with any new opportunity, and the endless warmth and hospitality he displays to everyone he encounters is what makes him the most selfless and inspiring person I have ever met.
The University of Georgia abounds in professors who are not only passionate about their academic areas of expertise, but who are also invested in the lives of each of their students. I had the privilege of taking an ecology course taught by James Richardson this past semester, and even though I had high expectations for what I would learn from the course, what I actually gained by the completion of the semester exceeded my expectations substantially. Dr. Richardson taught me the value of learning for the sake of learning alone. In a culture that is so wrapped up in performance and achievement of the highest grades, he gave me the invaluable reminder that there is incredible joy in simply gaining a greater understanding of the world around us. He cares about each of his students immensely and always has their best interest in mind.
Maria Navarro is another professor who has had a major impact on my experience at UGA through her course, “Fighting World Hunger.” This woman is amazing because she manages more on her plate than anyone I have ever met and constantly maintains such an optimistic outlook. Dr. Navarro’s wisdom, experiences, and personality make her such an incredible role model for anyone lucky enough to know her. In addition, Arvin Scott, who teaches African drumming, is a brilliant musician and I have gained an entirely new appreciation for the art of drumming from this man who puts his entire heart and soul into his every day of his teaching.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
I would jump at the chance to venture out with Steve Irwin on one of his past adventures.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
… travel back in time to see the creation of the world. I can’t imagine something more amazing to experience.
If money was not a consideration, I would love to…
… become a pilot and provide dental care to people in need around the world and simultaneously get to experience and appreciate cultures all across the globe.
After graduation, I plan to…
… attend Georgia Regents University to earn my D.D.S. through the College of Dental Medicine, and afterward I plan to look into various specialty programs including orthodontics.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
… scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef on a biology Maymester through the Discover Abroad program. Scuba diving has always been a passion of mine, but diving into the Great Barrier Reef with the brilliance of the corals and the diversity of the marine life from the sea turtles and reef sharks to the giant clams was unlike anything else I have ever experienced.
