Amazing Students

Sickle cell anemia hits close to home for doctoral student Temitayo Oni, who is passionate about her research on the genetic disorder, as well as her work developing and testing genetics curricula for high school students.

Doctoral student Matthew Nyaaba aims to identify best practices for the responsible use of AI to support all students and promote inclusive and equitable assessments.

Hyeungok Kang (Ph.D. ’24) strives to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups in early childhood education.

Doctoral student Jonga Lee’s passion for K-12 education is inspired by her deep-seated concerns and interests regarding the education system, both in Korea and globally.

Carter Phillipps (B.S.Ed. ‘24) pursues a career path in physical therapy through work and volunteer experiences.

Karrah Bowman (Ph.D. ‘26) strives to support children’s well-being and educational outcomes in the field of school psychology.

Raelen Watkins (B.S.Ed. ’23) is making a difference in the lives of her peers and patients, from starting a new student organization to advocating for more diverse representation in speech-language pathology.

Tyler-Curtis Elliott (B.A. ’20, B.S.Ed. ’20, M.Ed. ’22, Ph.D. ’25) researches the application of behavior analysis in schools and shares knowledge of the field in a variety of ways.

Eun Young Yeom (Ph.D.’23) amplifies the experiences of students with similar backgrounds in her research.

Shawntell Pace (M.Ed. ’19, Ph.D. ’24) engages people across campus by creating a mental health space for Black women at UGA as well as facilitating workshops and care sessions for various campus and community groups.

Rebekah Bobo (M.Ed. ’23) aims to make a difference as a speech-language pathologist.

Callie Dickinson (B.S.Ed. ’22, M.S. ’23) spent her time at UGA as part of numerous athletic and academic organizations on campus.

Charlotte Weng (B.S.Ed. ’22) wants to show her students that math is valuable and interesting in its own way, a viewpoint that not everyone shares about the subject.

Melissa McGranahan (B.S.Ed. ’14, M.S.Ed. ’18, Ph.D. ’23) centers her research on the intersection of exercise and mental health—particularly for women, whom she noticed were often excluded in research despite having higher levels of mental health-related disorders and lower levels of physical activity.

Meg Kowalski (B.S.Ed. ’21, M.S. ’23) balances academics and athletics at the University of Georgia. On the court, she represents the university as an NCAA All-American tennis player, while in the classroom, she recently graduated with her bachelor’s degree and began her master’s coursework through the Double Dawgs program for sport management.

After serving in the Army National Guard for six years, veteran Eder Villegas (B.S.Ed. ’20, M.Ed. ’23) is helping students connect the lessons they learn in the classroom with their daily lives and experiences.

Zerian Hood (B.S.Ed. ’23) is the first in his family to go to college. Often juggling two or three jobs, he aims to be a beacon of hope for his family and other first-generation students.

Ricky Belizaire, a master’s student in the department of counseling and human development services, advises the LGBT student ambassadors and PRISM, a discussion group for queer and trans people of color.

Sixteen students will be recognized as First Honor Graduates during the virtual undergraduate Commencement ceremony. Of those 16, five are from the Mary Frances Early College of Education.

Jasmine Gresham, a third-year health and physical education major, is the University of Georgia’s 2020 homecoming queen.

Phaidra Buchanan joined recipients from 64 countries around the world this weekend as she was named a 2021 Rhodes Scholar, bringing the total number of UGA Rhodes Scholars to 25.

Elaine Liu (B.S.Ed. ’20) received a Leon Bradley Scholarship to continue her work in anti-racist education and promote well-being in elementary school classrooms.

Benjamin Boudreaux shared his journey of living with autism and how exercise plays an important role with the founder of Exercise Buddy, an autism-friendly exercise system that leads to better fitness and behavior.

Briana Bivens, a third-year doctoral student, works in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and advocates for local groups through community organizing.

Shea Duckworth is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science this spring. As a physical therapist, she can make a lasting impact on the lives of her patients.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the Mary Frances Early College of Education, Christina Smith will serve as a first-grade teacher at Whit Davis Elementary School in Athens-Clarke County.

Marcus Jones will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders and pursue a career in medical speech therapy.

Kayla Flanagan will graduate with her Ph.D. in science education this spring and continue her work as a program coordinator in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Office of Information Technology.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders, Ashley Kehoe plans to pursue a career in speech pathology.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in social studies education, Caleb Thomas hopes to start his teaching career at either a middle school or high school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Future educator Mel Kutner turned their time in academia into a passion for philosophy and theoretical practice.

This month’s amazing student is Joyce Bui, who is studying to become a high school science educator to help her future students learn tough subjects.

Nicholas Yanek plans on pursuing a medical career as an orthopedic surgeon to help athletes like himself across the country.

Foundation Fellow and future educator Phaidra Buchanan has taken advantage of all the “out-of-this-world opportunities” UGA offers, from study abroad programs to research opportunities.

Early childhood education major Janelle Hampton is passionate about her career choice as a teacher. “I want to help make an impact in the education system, and I believe that starts right in the classroom.”

This month’s amazing student is Kristin Crear, who is studying to become a speech pathologist and plans to travel the world.

Walker’s passion is to create equal access to educational opportunity and lead a fight against illiteracy while inspiring children.

This month’s amazing student is Parker Nail, who is a social studies education Double Dawg and plans to teach high school history.

This month’s amazing student is Megan Foltz, who is studying exercise and sport science and plans to become a physician’s assistant.

May’s Amazing Student, Cassandra Koes, was introduced to the UGA campus before most other freshman were even moved in, arriving early for cheerleading tryouts.

Perry West, a decorated war veteran of the U.S. Army, has traveled the world and influenced thousands of soldiers, but his latest achievement is graduating from the College of Education.

Payton Lack’s personal experiences with hearing loss influenced his career path in communication sciences and disorders.

Experiences on and off campus have helped Mary Terry push boundaries of academics, leadership, and service.

Cedric Sanders is pursuing his doctorate after decades of gaining life experiences in corporate America, law enforcement, and education.

Foundation Fellow Ben Starks has a laser focus on his goal of combining his passion for analytics and basketball for a career in professional sports. If that doesn’t work out, there’s always secretary of state.

UGA Amazing Student Anita Qualls is working toward a career in academic medicine. Along the way, she has played a key role in the Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction Lab in the College of Education, directed by assistant professor Jarrod A. Call.

Senior blends business sense with love of sports as a dual major. ‘My ultimate goal is to be a CFO for a sports team,’ he says.

As a student-athlete and a College of Education student ambassador, Mary Terry is committed to serving the campus and community and has been honored for that passion several times over.

This month’s College of Education Amazing Student is social studies education masters student Chris Krupa

Stephanie Toliver is a third-year doctoral student studying language and literacy education. She is the 2018 recipient of the American Library Association’s Diversity Research Grant.