Callie Adkins – A GU junior and double major in Psychology and Social Work, has had a phenomenal experience here at Greenville University. She is a McAllaster Honors scholar, which requires her to hold strong academic excellence. “This scholarship has really helped me. I would not have had the opportunities I have received without it. It’s been such a blessing to be at Greenville and get a good education through the kind people who provide it. It changes the way that I see the world, the way that I get to interact with people, and the opportunity to meet life-long friends”, said Callie.
During her high school years, Callie wrote a lot. Coming to Greenville, she found herself growing professionally in her writing style. Psychology is a perfect fit for her, requiring students to mainly read, research, and write. It’s been a demanding field of study, and of course, it’s been challenging, but that’s the beauty of academics - students learn new material and realize so much about themselves and who they are meant to be.
STUDENTS REALLY MATTER
Callie loves Greenville because she understands that at GU, students really matter.
Her professors have poured knowledge into her and taught her a lot about life in and out of the classroom; they care about students as a whole person. “Dr. Dunkley, GU Biology professor, is a wonderful person. I’m not a science major, but he has always been there for me since I took his general education class during freshman year. Just a few weeks ago, he met up with me and prayed over me because he knew that I was having a hard time and was a little bit overwhelmed,” she shared with sparks in her eyes. “The beautiful thing about GU professors is that they take time to meet with students outside of class, get to know you, your story, and your heart,” Callie said that she has been blessed with amazing professors.
FOSTERING LEADERSHIP
GU has also fostered Callie’s leadership through experiential learning. She had Experience First classes that were mainly group-based with projects in and outside school, giving her hands-on practice for leadership. One of her projects this year is about working with non-profit partners in St. Louis, where they equip young youth with business education and financial literacy. Callie’s group has been fundraising and holding different events to get the non-profit’s name out there more publicly. “It is absolutely crucial to come together as a team and understand our mission and goal. I love working with my groups. It is so cool to have different people to collaborate with, and you get to look through the world from the lens of other people,” Callie shared about the experience. GU makes her resume feel full, and she feels thankful for Jesus Christ and the amazing people who pour into her.
FOSTERING COMMUNITY
The Residence Hall experience in the Nancy Blankenship apartments is also amazing for Callie. It is so much fun for her to come home to all her friends and those she loves. She gets to welcome people in, host her friends in the apartment, and have a tremendous amount of fun. Living together fosters stronger relationships. She sometimes stays up late talking with roommates; she encourages friends when they walk out the door with words like ‘Hey, have a great day, you are doing great, and I am proud of you.’ Callie says, “I am so thankful for this season in my life that I just get to walk across the hall or walk to other residence halls casually meeting people. In life, we need community and each other because we are made for that.”
Because people have given to Greenville University, Callie has been able to grow, learn, and challenge herself to accomplish what she has.
Thank you for giving to Greenville University!
