Elected Homecoming King last weekend, Darryl Tricksey is an amazing student. As an Honors student, senior Darryl Tricksey has worked as an apprentice in the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, and he has presented his research project, titled “African-American Models of Success” at the CURO International Symposium in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Additionally, Tricksey was named as the first recipient of the Georgia Power Environmental Health Scholarship, which gave him an opportunity to work and do research as an intern at Georgia Power’s corporate headquarters. He has also worked as an orientation leader and tour guide at the UGA Visitor’s Center. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. After graduation, he plans to attend a Spanish immersion program and attend medical school.
Hometown:
Atlanta, Ga.
High School:
Southwest Dekalb High School
Degree objective:
B.S. in Environmental Health Science
Expected graduation:
Spring 2010
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
Upon acceptance to the University of Georgia, I was selected as a Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities apprentice, where I conducted research in the School of Social Work under Larry Nackerud and in the Psychology department under Victoria Plaut. I was later admitted to the UGA Honors Program and served as a program ambassador. Through the Honors Program and CURO, I presented my research project, titled “African-American Models of Success” at the CURO International Symposium in Monteverde, Costa Rica. I was named the first recipient of the Georgia Power Environmental Health Scholarship through the UGA College of Public Health. This gave me the opportunity to work in the environmental affairs office at Georgia Power’s corporate headquarters in downtown Atlanta where I conducted heat stress monitoring and sound level readings to assess compliance with OHSA standards. The following summer, I was selected to become a 2008 Orientation Leader through the Office of Admissions where I worked with 11 other dynamic student leaders to assist an incoming class of more than 5,000 students. As a spring 2007 initiate into the Zeta Iota Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, I have been able to attain the position of Junior Vice Polemarch, the highest ranked undergraduate in the region. Similarly, in the summer of 2009 I was named a Guy Levis Grant Awardee, which the highest award is given to an undergraduate in the fraternity for extra meritorious service, campus leadership and exceptional contribution to the fraternity. Finally, this past summer I participated in the Greater New York Hospital Association’s Summer Enrichment Program where I worked for Continuum Health Partners at Beth Israel and St. Luke’s Hospital. At Beth Israel, I volunteered in a pulmonary hypertension clinic with Dr. Roxanna Sulica where I conducted 6-minute walk test, took blood pressures, gauged heart rate and oxygen levels and counseled patients. At St. Luke’s, I worked in Infection Control where I worked to decrease worker and patient exposure to infectious diseases such as H1N1 and tuberculosis, and I shadowed infectious disease Fellows at the Morningside HIV clinic. This experience was the catalyst that led to my creation of a blog entitled WebDT, which serves to educate college-aged adults on pertinent public health issues.
Current Employment:
I currently serve as a tour guide at the UGA Visitor’s Center where I share my enthusiasm with prospective students about my great experiences here at UGA. I also serve as a campus campaign coordinator for Teach for America.
Family Ties to UGA:
My cousin, Marilynn Finklin, obtained her undergraduate degree at UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and she completed her residency in Vet Med at UGA’s Vet School. Her sister, Rejer Finklin, also completed her bachelor’s degree in education here and is currently pursuing her Ed.D.
I chose to attend UGA because…
…it was the best value. UGA provides virtually unlimited resources for students, high tech facilities, a great education and immense scholarship opportunities. But what mostly sold me was the chance to participate in the CURO program, where I could get a job doing research as an undergraduate.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
I actually have a couple. One of my favorite activities is going to the Ramsey Center and working out! I also love when the University Union puts on free student concerts at Legion Field, and I enjoy hanging out at the Tate Student Center to catch up with old friends and get free food!
When I have free time, I like…
…to travel. I enjoy just getting up, going to random places and road tripping whenever I get a chance. I also really enjoy listening to music. I like to discover new artists and songs and play them until my friends and I get tired of them!
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
…spent an entire night with six of my friends locked out of our car in West Philadelphia last summer. My friend lost his keys during a party, so we hung out at the nearby philly cheese steak joint and bought food from the Mr. Softee ice cream truck that circled the block the next morning. Finally, we contacted AAA and a locksmith to make a new key for the car.
My favorite place to study is…
…the Miller Learning Center on the fourth floor. It is extremely quiet. The MLC is also great for taking regular study breaks to grab a smoothie at Jittery Joe’s or to hop on a computer and check my Facebook account.
My favorite professor is…
…Anne Marie Zimeri. Not only is she an excellent teacher, she is very interested in the development of each of her students. She has counseled me and provided great insight to my future in science. She is also a wealthy resource and makes herself available at all times.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
…Barack Obama! My admiration for him is tremendous. I think that he represents to so many people that progression is limitless. I am personally motivated by his success and have pride in the fact that he is a tangible representation of the combination of ambition and hard work. He is undeniably one of my greatest role models because of his ability to effortlessly make complicated issues easy to understand, and he tactfully express himself.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
…become a professional entertainer. Becoming an entertainer is one of those things that most people aren’t daring enough to go out and pursue. I say this because I discovered at a young age that I had a love for performance and the satisfaction of overcoming the anxiety before standing in front of a large group of people. I think that if I was an actor, singer, etc. that there would never be a dull or unexciting moment. I would live for getting up every morning and doing it all again. I am also sure that the pay would be great because this is my fantasy, and I would be wildly successful. Unfortunately, I am fairly positive that I do not have the talents that being an entertainer requires. Otherwise, it would be perfect!
After graduation, I plan to…
…attend a Spanish immersion program for the summer and spend time traveling abroad. I also plan to begin applying to medical schools for the Fall 2011 admission year. I would like to send more time shadowing physicians and delving into media-related aspects of healthcare.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
…my experience as an orientation leader. I have never felt more fulfilled than to have the opportunity to interact with such a large number of people and share my experiences and “wisdom” about UGA. I made so many great friends, and I learned more about myself than I could have imagined. It truly enhanced my love for UGA and made it evident that there is no better place that I could have chosen for undergrad.