Junior Brittany King is a campus leader. As a Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities apprentice working under the guidance of faculty mentor Rosemary Phelps in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services, King’s research investigates how spirituality affects depression in African-American college students. Through her active participation and dedication to CURO, she was selected to be one of three senior peer advisors for 2005-2006 school year to show the ropes to the incoming freshmen research apprentices. She also was accepted into the L.E.A.D. certificate program through the Terry College of Business, and was recently awarded a two-year scholarship from the Department of Homeland Security and the Oak Ridge Science Institute, which includes two summer internships. King is considering a graduate degree in psychology when she graduates from UGA. She will be spending her summer at the University of Maryland where she has an internship doing research on the predisposing causes of terrorism.
Hometown:
Lithonia, Georgia
High School:
Stephenson High School
Degree objective:
B.S. in psychology with a minor in Spanish
Expected graduation:
May 2007
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
The highlight of my UGA career thus far has been my experience with the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities. I entered this program as a freshman and was able to participate in research that most students are not exposed to until much later in their careers. In April 2005, I had the opportunity to present at the Great Lakes Conference in Indianapolis along with my research mentor, Rosemary Phelps. I participated as an apprentice in the program for two years, and I was chosen to take on a leadership role within the program as a Senior Peer Advisor. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Associate Director of the Honors Program Pamela Kleiber, Wendy, and especially the students and my fellow senior peer advisors. It has been a great year, and I have learned a lot from this position. I am also involved with Thomas Lay After School Program Executive Board, Timothy Campus Ministry, Ladies of Essence, Honors Civic Leaders, Psi Chi, and Golden Key Honor Society.
Current Employment:
I am a Senior Peer Advisor for CURO. Apprenticeships are for freshman and sophomore years, but a few students are kept for a third year to serve as a resource to the apprentices. Our job is to assist Dr. Kleiber with planning and implementation for the CURO seminar. We also had our first annual CURO social and are currently planning a special reception to honor current and previous apprentices after the CURO symposium.
I chose to attend UGA because…
…of its strong academics and its research opportunities. The CURO program offered here is definitely one of the factors that tipped the scales in favor of UGA. I also wanted to be away from home but not too far away from my family.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
…taking advantage of all the fun UGA has to offer. I enjoy going to all the cultural events and festivities (especially where there is free food involved). I really look forward to the Dawgs After Dark events because they offer students a fun alternative to drinking. I also attend Bible study and various other things sponsored by Timothy Campus Ministry. This is one of my most important commitments. I was on Redemption Step Ministry this semester which was my favorite thing to do at the time.
When I have free time, I like…
…to read. That is the one thing that I love that I do not have enough to do. I am so busy reading textbooks that I don’t really get the chance to read for leisure.
My favorite place to study is…
…in the comfort of my own bedroom. It is the only place on campus where I can control the environment and make sure that I am totally comfortable and focused. I cannot have any background noise when I study, so the SLC is not a good option for me. I also like to make sure that I am warm and cozy and in my room I can control the temperature.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
…implement a program to help the youth of America to become better people. I am saddened by the things that are happening to them and would love the opportunity to help those who need it. The most important aspect of this program would be stressing the importance of education, values and family. Since the program could not fail, every person who entered it would become successful and would be able to share what they have learned with the people around them.
After graduation, I plan to…
…attend graduate school in psychology. I am currently researching different institutions to decide which one I would like to attend. I haven’t chosen a particular area of study, but I would like to work with children in some capacity.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
…football game day. I had never seen so many people in red and black until I came to UGA. The excitement of all the people is just infectious. Other than the football, just being a student at UGA is an experience all its own.