Student Spotlight

GHC grad accepted into master’s program at UWG

Recent GHC graduate, honor student, and student employee Samatha Lewis is continuing her education after being accepted into the University of West Georgia’s Master of Science in Sport Management program.

Lewis currently graduated this spring with both a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (BSHS) and an Associate of Science in Psychology. In 2020, she graduated GHC with an Associate of Science in General Studies.

Her response to learning of her acceptance into the master’s program came with two reactions: relief and excitement.

“I was relieved that I didn’t have to wonder anymore and that it was a done deal, and I was so excited I grabbed my fourteen-year-old son and jumped up and down,” Lewis said. “He bit his tongue in the process, and I felt horrible!”

Lewis says she is pursuing her new degree because she wants to increase athletic performance on and off the field. She said she hopes to gain a greater understanding of intercollegiate athletics and an opportunity to work with athletes on a daily basis. Lewis plans to continue working within the University System of Georgia after earning her masters so she can continue toward a doctorate in sport psychology.

“I plan on teaching at GHC after completing my master’s,” Lewis said. “I hope to work in the Kinesiology and Wellness department or Athletic Department. Lewis recently began a 40-hour internship for her Capstone class in the GHC Athletic Department. She said GHC has been monumental in helping her to advance through her education, and she is a “cheerleader” for the college.

“I’ve enjoyed all my time with GHC and I hate that I have to go somewhere else to move on in my education,” Lewis said. “I have embedded myself with everyone who crossed my path and made connections with most of them.”

She said when she completed her honors

credits – which required 18 credit hours and a sixhour honors project – and reached out to faculty and staff at GHC for help, she was met with friendly responses. “No one ever said ‘no’ to me at GHC,” Lewis said. “I feel like, without GHC, my path could have been completely different. Not bad. Just different.” While earning her degrees, Lewis says the undergraduate research opportunities at the college helped her to achieve her goals. “I have taken an unmeasurable amount of experience away from my time in the undergraduate research program at GHC,” Lewis said. “I have worked in a lab and have enjoyed one-on-one time with multiple professors giving me the opportunity to learn from them, one-on-one, in a non-classroom environment, expanding further into each person’s area of expertise.” Lewis has taken an active role in the biology program’s “Don’t be closed-minded when opportunities arise. partnership with Lake Allatoona conducting undergraduate research. Over her tenure at There might be something GHC, she has escalated her out there that sparks responsibilities from volunteer your interest that you to student lab manager to laborahaven’t experienced yet!” tory coordinator. Through these roles, she has created and implemented most of the working systems within the research group, ranging from data housing systems, inputting sample readings, scheduling, organizing students, and exercising quality control methods. Prior to pursuing multiple degrees at GHC, Lewis worked for 25 years in the dental industry. “I think Health Science is just in my blood,”

Lady Chargers point guard wins in the classroom and on the court

When Sandra Lin started at Georgia Highlands College (GHC), she had to record her classroom lectures and translate the text to better understand the content. In 2019, she had moved to the U.S. from Hsinchu, Taiwan. Her goal was to attend GHC and graduate with a degree in Health Professions while playing for the Lady Chargers basketball team.

She quickly learned the language and succeeded in each of her goals. Sandra is just one of many student-athletes recently honored for academic success.

“Students who work hard and make good grades should be recognized for their efforts,” Director of Athletics Brandan Harrell said. “When our athletes have success, we want to recognize it and celebrate it.”

Sandra recently joined other student-athletes during a recognition ceremony between basketball games, honoring those who hold a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Sandra said it felt rewarding to be honored during the event and appreciates her fellow teammates and GHC faculty and staff for helping her to reach her academic and athletic goals. The point guard for the Lady Chargers basketball team holds a 3.6 GPA. “I’ve met a lot of good people at GHC, and I’d like to become an example for those people in Taiwan who want to come here and build their dream,” she said. An avid basketball player since age 9, she learned about the opportunity to play basketball and attend college in the U.S. during her freshman year of high school.

“I had never been to the U.S. before I moved here,” Lin said. “When I first came here it was very difficult to communicate – I couldn’t have a conversation or tell you a full sentence – but, eventually, I would learn more words as I would read them and hear them and would just keep going and getting better.”

She graduated with a degree in Health Professions in 2021.

“I want to become an athletic trainer or strength and conditioning coach, and Health Professions is the major that can lead me to that field,” she added.

MASTER’S– continued from page 26

Lewis said. “As of now, I am taking my Health Science diploma to graduate school for Sports Management.”

Lewis serves as the President of the GHC Book Club, the Co-President of Green Highlands, and is “the self-proclaimed secretary” of the Psychology Club.

In her spare time, Lewis enjoys the outdoors, concerts, and is an Atlanta Braves season ticket holder. She also packs parachutes.

“Parachute packers are a small community within the skydiving world. I travel between several states and pack parachutes for special events, state records, and both military and civilian jumpers,” Lewis said. I am also a certified Federal Aviation Administration parachute rigger. That just means I can pack reserve parachutes, complete minor repairs on skydiving gear, and work military contracts.”

Lewis said that as a single mom and nontraditional student, she feels it is important for other students to know it is okay to not know what you want to do for the rest of your life at this very moment.

“Ride the wave. Let opportunity knock and answer all the doors,” Lewis said. “Don’t be closedminded when opportunities arise. There might be something out there that sparks your interest that you haven’t experienced yet! Even if you think you won’t like it, try it.”