Striving for Excellence

Photos by Scott Beutjer, SnapScott Photography

In the Shakespearean play Coriolanus, Volumnia tells her son, the play's namesake, “Action is eloquence, and the eyes of th’ ignorant more learned than the ears." A more modern explanation for this quote might be, “Actions speak louder than words.”

If action is eloquence, then University of West Georgia senior student, Amelia Farmer, is eloquence personified. A lovely and vibrant young woman, Amelia was born in Carrollton, Ga., to parents Nancy and Pete Farmer. Nancy, who Amelia describes as amazing and her best friend, is a beloved preschool teacher at City Station Preschool. Pete works as an Operations Manager at the local Wal-Mart.com distribution center.

Amelia exudes a barely contained energy and enthusiasm and appears ready to tackle her future with gusto.

Apprehensive Youth

From her earliest memories, Amelia recalls a desire to strive and excel, but this was paired with an incredible anxiety and lack of confidence.

Amelia, center, with her parents, Nancy and Pete Farmer. Photo courtesy of Amelia Farmer.

“When I was younger, I always struggled with confidence and self-esteem issues,” she says. As the eldest child in the family, Amelia says she would feel inadequate as she witnessed the accomplishments of her younger siblings. “My brother Max is an exceptional swimmer and my little sister Lindsay is fearless and outgoing,” she explains.

“I was always filled with doubt and worries about myself until I was eventually diagnosed with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, so, I compensated by being the best student I could be.” In Amelia's case, the best student she could be turned out to be quite exceptional indeed.

Needing Something More

OCD is a disorder when people have unwanted and repeated feelings, thoughts, obsessions, ideas and behaviors that drive them to do something over and over again. Often a person with OCD carries out the behaviors to get rid of those obsessive thoughts.

As Amelia grew older, she discovered ways to deal with her anxiety and OCD and, as a result, began to take charge of her life. In her freshman and sophomore years at Central High School in Carrollton, she began to realize she needed something more from her academic studies. “When I was a sophomore, I recognized I no longer felt challenged by my classes at Central and was sort of floundering socially. I just felt really out of place,” she shares.

In spite of struggling socially, Amelia continued to participate in various activities at Central High: she was a member of the Science Olympiad, the Math Team, Beta Club and National Honor Society.

Amelia also participated in swimming with the Carrollton Bluefins Swim Club and enjoyed the team atmosphere. But still she wondered what more could be out there waiting for her.

Halfway through her sophomore year after taking the ACT and discovering that she was ready for college-level courses, she began researching dual enrollment opportunities that would allow her to earn high school and college credit simultaneously.

"I spent months researching my options, throwing out the many choices I knew my family could not afford," she shares. "I had settled on staying in high school for two more years. I was going to attempt to let individual research be my new source of information, but, as luck would have it, the perfect opportunity came along."

It was at this point that Amelia received an email inviting her to apply to the Advanced Academy of Georgia – an early college admittance program with all expenses paid for selectees. “This program offered the challenge I was looking for, and it just happened to be housed at the University of West Georgia – only two miles from my home,” she says. The Advanced Academy was eventually fazed out in 2017 and replaced with the Move on When Ready program, now known as the Dual Enrollment program.

Amelia, who struggled socially in high school, has found her home and is thriving at the University of West Georgia.

University Life

Amelia was accepted into the Academy and, with the support of her family, she enrolled in summer classes at the University of West Georgia. The dual enrollment program allows students to be enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions, usually high school students taking college or university courses.

In spite of her accomplishment at being accepted for dual enrollment, Amelia says she had no confidence at all. “I was absolutely terrified for my first day,” she laughs. Her first class was macro economics, and Amelia remembers she became horribly lost and it took her two hours to find the correct building and classroom. “I called my mom crying and told her I didn’t know if I could do this, but she calmed me down and encouraged me," she relates. "And, I knew I could do it.”

Amelia grew to love her economics class and her professor, Dr. Swarna Dutt. After finishing the summer semester, Amelia had no interest in returning to her traditional high school classes in the fall. “I wanted to go full-time to UWG,” she says.

It is not unheard of for high school students to want to attend college full time while still in high school, but the college or university must be on board with the process and believe the student is capable of handling the dual enrollment. “Katie Theobald, the manager of the Office of Undergraduate Research at UWG, was so great in helping me navigate everything," says Amelia. "She did a lot of one-on-one meetings with me so I felt prepared."

Living On Faith

Amelia shares the one place she has always felt comfortable is at her family’s church, Southern Hills Church at City Station. She says her church family has helped her adjust to life as a college student, and, one thing that has helped her in particular is an opportunity she received through the church’s exciting community center at City Station.

Southern Hills Church recently completed construction of a large community center located along the Carrollton Greenbelt. Inside the building is a fitness center, the preschool where Amelia's mom teaches, a cafe and college student housing. The community center is a place of fellowship open to anyone in Carrollton, regardless of race or economic status. Their student housing provides a quality option for young people who seek to live in a faith-based community.

This housing option was exactly what Amelia was looking for – providing her with a bit of independence, but with the comfort of being close to home. “I am able to live the life of a typical college student, but my family lives just a couple of minutes away,” she relates.

Amelia has been fortunate to develop some incredibly close friendships since participating in dual enrollment at UWG. She and her boyfriend of two years, Noah Garrett, met while she was a lifeguard. "I was his boss," she laughs.

Some newer friendships have blossomed, including those with her roommates at City Station. Clara Denney attended Central High School with Amelia but they weren’t very close at the time. Today, they are very good friends, bonding particularly over a shared history with anxiety and OCD. “It seems as if she is always excelling at something, but it’s a lot of pressure,” says Clara. The girls understand when each one is having a particularly tough time and instinctively know how to help each other get through those situations when they arise.

They have two other roommates, Catherine Wescott and Kalie Cofer, and the four have become great friends. But, Amelia notes her very best friend, her mom, lives just down the road.

A Prestigious Path

“When I was growing up, I was under the impression if you were smart you would either become a doctor or a lawyer,” Amelia muses. “I was good in science, so I assumed OK, I’ll be a doctor.” But, after taking her first biology classes at UWG, Amelia realized that medicine might not be for her. “I just didn’t see myself going forward with that degree," she explains. "I had different interests than those kids who wanted to go into medicine."

While many students remain undeclared until their second year at school, Amelia took a business class that peaked her interest and she decided to obtain her undergraduate degree in accounting.

As she began to adjust to college life, Amelia was already looking for ways to become more involved at UWG. Part of her desire to achieve perfection is a perceived and innate need to be involved in and succeed at a multitude of activities and organizations.

Fortunately, Amelia recognizes that her anxiety issues require taking some time off on occasion. “Sleep is the most important part of maintaining balance,” she says. “My friends and family will also tell me when I need to take it down a notch," she laughs.

But, just because she recognizes she needs to sometimes say “No,” it doesn’t mean she does very often. As part of her accounting major, Amelia is currently participating in the prestigious Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program.

The Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program is the only one of its kind in the United States. The program allows students to earn a bachelor's degree, master's degree and sustainability certificate in only four years.

Matrix obtained from www.westga.edu.

The program – the only one of its kind in the United States – allows students to earn their bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and sustainability certificate in four years; gain experience through internships; work with a personal mentor; participate in unique projects; and participate in research with workplace application. The program also enables students to give back by volunteering with Southwire's Project Gift® (Giving Inspiration for Tomorrow) program.

Through the Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program, students are taught traditional business practices through Southwire’s sustainability principles of Building Worth, Growing Green, Living Well, Giving Back and Doing Right.

The instructors incorporate these ideals into their assignments, projects, lecturesand experiences, both in the classroom and in real life as the students work with members of the Southwire team.

Through Project Gift®, Southwire employees are committed to making the communities where they work better places to live. The employees give their time by volunteering with community and civic organizations to create a positive impact.

They perform community service by raising money for worthwhile causes, helping those who are going through a difficult time, working with beautification efforts and giving schoolchildren the tools they need to be successful in class.

In addition to her internship at Southwire, Amelia also works 12 to14 hours a week for the Dean of the Richards College of Business at UWG, Dr. Faye McIntyre.

She is also president of the Blue Coats, a student ambassador program at UWG; representative member of the Dean’s Council of Student Leaders; and a member of both Beta Gamma Sigma and the Accounting Club. She has previously served as secretary of the Honors College Council and vice president of philanthropy for the Student Alumni Association.

Making Waves

Being raised in a strong Christian household, Amelia has always been encouraged by her family members to extend her time and talents in service to others. When her brother Max was 11, he participated in a unique swimming philanthropy called Swim Across America, and Amelia was intrigued.

Swim Across America 2017. Amelia, right, with Missy Franklin. Missy is an American competition swimmer and a five-time Olympic gold medalist who currently holds the world record in the 200-meter backstroke. Missy revealed her struggles with depression and performance anxiety in 2017, and has spoken openly about the importance of mental health. Photo courtesy of Amelia Farmer.

Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to raising money for cancer research, prevention and treatment. It involves local fundraising efforts by a swim team or club and the swim event usually takes place in open water.

Since 1987, SAA has raised over $80 million through its open water swimming fundraising events and pool swim fundraisers. The SAA slogan is "Making waves to fight cancer."

The Carrollton Bluefins swim team became involved in honor of another team member, Parker Solberg, who had been diagnosed with a brain tumor on his optic nerve. As part of his 11th birthday, Max swam a 5K in open water raising $2,000 for the local SAA recipient, Children’s Health Care of Atlanta Pediatric Cancer/AFLAC Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

“After I saw what Max did for SAA, I thought, ‘I’m going to use my organizational skills to help raise money for the group’,” she remembers. Amelia, a high school sophomore at Central at the time, dived into the job with her usual enthusiasm. She was elected to join the elite Swim Across America Junior Advisory Board for the Atlanta area.

Amelia, center, with her fellow teammates at an SAA Junior Advisory Board meeting. Photo courtesy of Amelia Farmer.

The SAA Junior Advisory Board is a volunteer group of select high school students chosen by their coaches to lead their school’s swim teams in fundraising, team-building and participation.

Representing the Carrollton Bluefins swim team, the members chose to name their SAA team, “Team Parker,” in honor of their teammate who was battling the tumor. Amelia also served as president and advisor to the Junior Advisory Board, in addition to working with her local team to raise money to fight childhood cancers.

One of Amelia’s biggest hurdles in the SAA? “I am terrified of swimming in lakes and open water!” she laughs. But Amelia did not let that stop her from participating.

In spite of her fear of open water, Amelia has participated in the annual race since 2015.

In addition to her teammate, Parker, and brother, Max, Amelia says she was greatly inspired by fellow SAA participant and cancer patient, Grace Bunke.

Grace, was a well-known Atlanta athlete and Paralympic hopeful who had been an accomplished track and field and cross-country athlete until she lost her lower leg to osteosarcoma – an extremely aggressive bone cancer. Not one to let her cancer slow her down, Grace became a competitive swimmer, and in May 2016 she became a member of U.S. Paralympics Swimming.

Amelia says when Grace would swim during the events, she powered by most of the twolegged swimmers in the open water races. “When I saw Grace fly by me in that race, I was just amazed,” she says.

Sadly, Grace ultimately lost her race with cancer on March 25, 2018 – just before her 15th birthday – but her spirit liveson in the SAA "Amazing Grace Award," that Amelia helped create.

Her admiration for her fellow swimmers led Amelia and Team Parker to raise over $30,000 – double their initial fundraising goal of $15,000. The Atlanta SAA raised over $500,000 that year. Current fundraising for SAA shows they have already raised 108 percent of their goal of $650,000 to over $706,000 and counting.

With her immersion in college studies and other activities, Amelia has reduced her involvement with SAA, but still acts as an advisor to the Junior Board. But Team Parker is still in good hands: Parker Solberg, the young man on the Carrollton Bluefins swim team who was battling a cancerous tumor, stepped up to lead the team himself.

A Promising Future

As a participant in the Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program, Amelia will attain her Bachelor’s Degree in accounting in May 2019. Being such an impressive student and community member, Amelia has received offers of several scholarships and opportunities to attend other schools, including Southern Methodist University – a private research university in Texas, the University of Alabama, Mississippi State and Emory, but her heart still lies within the University of West Georgia. “They have given me so much, and I want to stay with them,” she says.

While she will graduate with her undergraduate degree in accounting, Amelia is now considering a slightly different path. “I am currently looking at law school and schools such as Georgia State, which offer a dual graduate degree in law and an MBA (master of business administration)," she explains.

"Then, after graduating, I would have my law degree and an MBA, so I would be prepared to tackle programs and situations from a legal, financial and business perspective." Eventually, Amelia would like to perform consulting work in the non-profit arena but concedes she’ll probably need to first cut her teeth in corporate law.

There is no doubt that wherever Amelia lands, the organization she chooses to work for and her community will be better for it. Her brainpower and organizational skills, matched with a youthful enthusiasm and energy make for a top-notch combination. WGW