At George Walton Academy in Monroe, Ga., my blood ran red and black through and through. Most people were shocked that I chose Auburn University over the University of Georgia. To everyone looking in, it would be inconceivable for me to journey across the state line into the Loveliest Village on the Plains but I wanted a new adventure. I sought an adventure where I had the freedom to break away from my incredible high school friends and become "Miss Independent." Not to mention, my dad graduated from Auburn University and I wanted to follow in his footsteps on the Auburn Waterski Club Team.

I traveled to Australia to take an 18-day tour of the entire East Coast after my high school graduation. Beginning in Sydney, we saw the Sydney Opera House then journeyed to Byron Bay. We learned how to surf in Surfers Paradise and then ended in the Whitsunday Islands where we went scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. That trip was the most exhilarating experience of my life thus far.

Auburn University has brought beautiful change into my life. I began studying Radio, Television and Film but later realized my passion was for speaking with people rather than at them. With more than 300 clubs and organizations to choose from on Auburn's campus, I decided to jump in deep during my freshman year. I joined a social sorority, skied on the AU Waterski Club Team, served as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer and a High School Leadership Counselor, and still continued to speak and lead at many Fellowship of Christian Athletes events.

I worked as a kayak tour guide the summer between my sophomore and junior years on the beautiful St. George Island. As I was the only female on staff, I felt the need to prove the hidden strength in my womanhood. With groups as large as 20 kayakers, another guide and myself would paddle through the backwater rivers in Tate's Hell or down the crystal clear springs of the Wakulla River. Returning to Auburn in August, I decided to work in a local coffee shop.

My passion for the coffee industry and working with people changed the course of my activities at Auburn University. I stayed active in ministries on campus and also served as the chaplain for my sorority as well as the director of spiritual life for all of Panhellenic. I fell in love with working hard whether through providing the most professional customer service or even scrubbing the sinks with Comet.

At the beginning of my senior year, I started working with Mammoth PrintShop to compile a media kit for them with my group in the Writing for PR class. The freedom in designing marketing and PR tools intrigued me to the point of interning with them my last semester at Auburn. Throughout the months, they have given me the instruments and instruction to create promotional items that fit with their image and design style. Mammoth PrintShop also served as our client for the PR Campaigns class. We constructed and implemented a strategic public relations campaign targeted toward local businesses, churches and schools. The end of the semester proved great success with the first Open WEARhouse Tour. Overall, this internship provided fantastic opportunities for me to utilize my design and public relations skills.

Ultimately, I would like to work in an environment where I can speak and work closely with people as well as design aesthetically pleasing documents, brochures and other public relations and marketing tools.