Behind the scenes of the first ever UGA Road Dawgs tour
‘Over the course of one week, we touched the lives of hundreds of students’
This spring break, over 25 UGA students gave their time to be a part of the first ever UGA Road Dawgs tour. Throughout the week, UGA students of all backgrounds, ages and majors visited 10 Georgia high schools to educate students about the importance of a college education and to share their own college experiences on behalf of the University of Georgia.
We began each visit by running onstage to the sound of the Georgia fight song, each of us decked out in game day attire. Our spirits were high, and we were ready to share with the students what gets us excited about being a Georgia Bulldog.
We introduced ourselves and quickly moved on to the student panel question and answer session. This was my favorite part because more and more, I began to notice the interest and the enthusiasm with which the students were asking their questions.
These were high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors who were asking us questions because they care about their futures. These were students who wanted to disprove the 70% high school dropout rate in their county. Most of all, these were students who deserve a chance to be great.
One of my favorite questions to answer during the week was: “What is your favorite UGA tradition?” For me, that would be ringing the Chapel Bell.
Back when we were incoming freshmen at UGA, after receiving our admittance letters, my friend and I took a tour of campus on a dreary, rainy day. Despite the weather, Katie and I stuck around after our tour to see more of the campus.
One of the things we did during that time was ring the Chapel Bell. We rung it because our tour had gotten us excited about UGA, but I rung it specifically because, in that moment, I committed to the University of Georgia.
Every time I walk past the Chapel Bell, I think of that special moment. I reflect on the time I’ve spent at this wonderful institution and look ahead at my journey to come.
Being surrounded by 25 like-minded individuals, most of whom I had never met before, was truly empowering. Over the course of one week, we touched the lives of hundreds of students. I’m thankful for my experience with Road Dawgs and can’t wait to do it again next year.
Go Road Dawgs!