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Alison Datoc
Why did you choose to participate in the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society?
By investing my time in my three engagement areas - service, leadership, and internship - I knew I was putting myself on the best track to become a more well-rounded student, future graduate school applicant, and future clinician.
Describe the activities that you completed to satisfy each of the three engagement areas.
For the service area, I engaged in over 200 hours consisting of various responsibilities serving the Dance Marathon team, ultimately benefiting Children's Miracle Network and children with life-threatening illnesses. For the leadership area, I completed the Leadership Studies Certificate and acquired knowledge about leadership theories, styles, and practices. I simultaneously integrated this knowledge into the real world as I served on the Executive Council of Zeta Tau Alpha, an organization of over 250 members. Finally, for the internship area, I served as a summer intern at Fairfax Family Practice Comprehensive Concussion Center, where I gained crucial experience and established a strong foundation of knowledge necessary for my future goal to become a clinical neuropsychologist.
How did Garnet and Gold Scholar Society help prepare you for the future?
The Garnet and Gold Scholar Society allowed me to practice something that I rarely consciously take the time to do: reflect on my experiences. I have now recognized the significance in self-reflection, as it has not only opened my eyes to see how much I have grown over since the start of my undergraduate career, but it has also enabled me to see the interconnectedness of my respective engagement areas. I learned how to integrate my service and leadership experiences towards my internship experience, which has put me on the best path to pursuing my goal of becoming a well-rounded clinician in the future.
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ERIN HAjduk
Why did you choose to participate in the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society?
I chose to participate in the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society because not only did I want to be a part of a great tradition here at FSU, I also wanted something that would help me stand out in graduate school and job applications. I also was looking for an opportunity to make sure that I had a well-rounded undergraduate experience.
Describe the activities that you completed to satisfy each of the three engagement areas.
I completed the Internship, Service, and Research Engagement. For the Internship area I completed the Disney College Program in the summer and fall of 2015 and for the Research engagement area I completed a DIS in the Ericsson lab in the psychology department. For the Service area I volunteered in a variety of activities both within the FSU and Tallahassee communities, including acting as a Peer Involvement Mentor and working for 211 Big Bend.
How did Garnet and Gold Scholar Society help prepare you for the future?
I believe that the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society helped prepare me for my future by providing me with a wide variety of experiences that give me a unique background to draw from. Because of the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society I now fully understand what it means to be a scholar and why I must continue pursuing knowledge once I graduate.