Christina Swoope has experienced UGA to the fullest.
Hometown:
Alpharetta, Georgia
High School:
Northview High School
Degree objective:
Bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology, Minor in Public Health
Expected graduation:
Spring 2011
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
My time at the University of Georgia has been nothing less than blessed beyond my wildest dreams. I am truly humbled by things that God has allowed me to see and do while I’ve been at UGA, and I recognize that none of them would have been possible without Him.
More than anything, I have truly enjoyed the leadership roles I have taken on during my college career. I have had the opportunity to serve as the Russell Hall Community Council secretary; the Student Government Association Outreach Committee promotional director; the INROADS Atlanta National Internship Program Advisory Board president and vice president; the first African-American female drum major of the Redcoat Marching Band, in its 107 years of existence; the Student Alumni Council vice president and Events Committee chair; and the Omicron Delta Kappa secretary. I have been recognized as a 2011 Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholar, 2009 Presidential Scholar, University of Georgia Outstanding Senior Leader, Student Alumni Council Member of the Year, INROADS Rising Star, INROADS Intern of the Year, UGA EXCEL Award recipient, and UGA Choice Award recipient, and crowned the 2009 Homecoming Queen in the historic election of UGA’s first African-American homecoming king and queen. I also have been fortunate to participate in several honor societies, including Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, Palladia Women’s Honor Society, Abeneefoo Kuo Honor Society, Blue Key Honor Society and the Sphinx Club.
Current Employment:
During my collegiate career, I have had the pleasure of working as a summer intern at United Healthcare through the INROADS National Internship Program
Family Ties to UGA:
I have an older sister, D’Andrea Swoope, who graduated in 2007 from UGA’s Terry College of Business.
I chose to attend UGA because…
…I fell in love with the University of Georgia long before I became a student through my involvement and passion for marching band. During my time at UGA, I have had the distinct honor and pleasure of serving three seasons as a drum major for the Redcoat Band. From my first exposure to the Redcoats as a rising high school freshman, it has been an organization and family that I have held close to my heart, because it immediately changed my life and continues to shape it today. As an eighth grader, I was selected to serve as the drum major for a high school that I had never been to, in a band I had never been in, having absolutely no hands on marching band experience other than watching halftime at high school football games. Being completely ill prepared for the season ahead of me, I attended the UGA Summer Marching Band Camp, which is taught by a group of the most amazing UGA alumni I have ever met. While I thought I was coming to a camp to just learn how to conduct, I found myself learning about the true meaning of servant leadership, how to lead from within a group, how to genuinely care about those whom you lead, how to build and value lasting relationships, and a wealth of other pertinent life lessons. I returned home feeling empowered to evoke change and inspire those around me, which resulted in unimaginable success not only as a high school drum major but as an active student leader and ambassador. My experiences at UGA as a high school student made me recognize potential in myself that I never knew existed, and I found myself doing things that I NEVER thought I could do. Because of those experiences, I knew that the University of Georgia was a place that would continue to push me to grow, and without a doubt, it was the college I needed to attend.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
1) Walk aimlessly around campus with one of my closest friends at 2 a.m.–some of the deepest and most heartfelt conversations I’ve ever had. 2) Catch up with friends in the dining hall or Tate Center 3) Meet new people through student organizations 4) Relax and enjoy being on such a beautiful campus.
When I have free time, I like…
… spend it hanging out with friends doing random things around Athens. Many times, we all get so busy running around campus, keeping up with crazy schedules that we don’t take the time to appreciate being in an amazing college town. There are so many cool things to do and see in Athens, and, with the help of my G Book, my friends and I have turned boring afternoons into random trips to do things like visit the “Tree That Owns Itself” or grab ice cream at the Creamery on South Campus.
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
…be a competitive gymnast. I wouldn’t consider myself an extremely adventurous or thrill-seeking person. In the seven years I competed, the craziest thing that happened to me was taking an 8-foot drop directly onto my head on the uneven bars at a USAG meet. The fall knocked the wind out of me so hard that I immediately thought I had paralyzed myself. Fortunately, an emergency room visit, x-rays, and a CAT scan revealed that I had merely bruised all of the ribs on one side of my body and stretched all of the muscles in my neck.
My favorite place to study is…
…in the law library with my best friend, Alan. It is by far the quietest place on campus, and the view is phenomenal. It also helps that there are always law students there with assignments so big that my workload suddenly seems manageable.
My favorite professor is…
…Dr. Melissa Davis. I have had the pleasure of working in her research lab for the past year and have found her to be more than a professor and even more dedicated than a mentor. She truly has challenged me as a student and allowed me to realize my true potential as a minority female in the field of science.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
… without a doubt, Michelle Obama. I have such a great appreciation for who she is as a person and the things she has accomplished, but more than anything I have a great respect for how she always carries herself with such class. She is an inspiration to me and our entire generation.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
…I would do exactly what I’m doing right now. It took me a long time to realize that you can’t live life in fear of failure, and doing so will cause you to miss out on the best that God has in store for you. (2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.)
After graduation, I plan to…
…either enter the PharmD/MPH dual degree program at UGA or pursue a master of science in public health at Johns Hopkins University.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
…Standing on the field representing the Redcoat Band on the homecoming court in 2009. It was at that moment I realized how much of my life has been forever changed because of this university, and how some of the most amazing moments in my life have taken place on that very field. Exactly five years prior, I had been invited to conduct the Redcoats at homecoming as a high school junior, and I specifically remember standing on the field thinking that conducting the Redcoats that day would be a once-in-a-life-time opportunity. Three years later, because of the things I learned and had taken to heart from a UGA Summer Marching Camp, I marched onto the field for my first pre-game show as a Redcoat Band drum major, being the first African-American female in the history of this university to do so. Two years later, I stood on that field in total disbelief as a member of the 2009 Homecoming Court representing an organization that I can honestly say has had a large hand in making me who I am. Very rarely can you say that something has truly changed your life, but I know that I am the person I am today and the leader I will be tomorrow because of the amazing experiences, relationships, and challenges I faced at the University of Georgia.