Margaret Chang
Greetings! My name is Margret Chang, a successful member of the class of 2003.
My story at West Georgia began at the age of sixteen, when I was accepted as a student at the Advanced Academy--a program initiated by the Honors College that allows gifted high school juniors and seniors the chance to get a head start in college. Challenging coursework and intelligent companions were part of my experience from the very first day, and I was given the flexibility to take on a full-course liberal arts curriculum while completing my requirements for medical school. In addition, dedicated faculty members were always willing to take me under their wings, allowing me to obtain a deeper level of understanding in a variety of disciplines ranging from developmental psychology to the history of public health.
Under the mentorship of my professors, who cared more about helping students succeed than publishing their own research, my creativity and intelligence took off. For the first time in my educational career, I was allowed to think my own thoughts and make interdisciplinary connections where I saw fit. My days were spent having fun intellectual conversations with faculty members from elite schools such as Princeton and Northwestern Universities , and as a result, most of my undergraduate education was carried out at a graduate level.
Just how much I had grown--intellectually and personally--from being in this stimulating environment can be seen in my accomplishments as an English major. Indeed, the English department at West Georgia is extremely strong, comprising of a diverse body of faculty members who specialize in all types of literature and in creative writing. Turning students into critical readers and writers was the mission uniting them, and together, they helped me weave my ideas regarding literature and
medicine together into papers that I've been able to present at several state and national conferences. These conferences made me not only into a more confident presenter, but also into a nationally recognized student. In 2002, I was presented a National English Award by Sigma Tau Delta, an English honor society, for being the most outstanding junior English major in the country--an accomplishment that speaks to the quality of the training I received as much as it does to anything I
achieved on my own.
Yet, the amazing thing about West Georgia is that I was able to pursue a slew of extracurricular activities even amidst all of my academic achievements. During my undergraduate years, I was active in a range of campus activities and held leadership offices in organizations such as the Honors Council, the English honors society, and the campus pre-medical society. My experience as a violinist and pianist also came in handy, and I soon found myself involved in everything from faculty
chamber music recitals to being the sound effects person for a campus improvisational comedy troupe. In addition, I was even allowed to stage two successful benefit concerts for local charities--a feat that would have never taken place had it not been for the support of the Honors College.
What all of my academic and extracurricular achievements illustrate is the advantage of attending a small college with an accomplished, highly committed group of professors. Indeed, it should come as no surprise that West Georgia 's motto is "educational excellence in a personal environment"--a rhetorical device that quickly becomes reality within the small, discussion-based seminars at the foundation of all Honors classes. This environment, coupled with my background as an English major, has opened up a world of career possibilities for me. Though I still plan to head to medical school in Fall 2005 (hopefully at Yale University ), I have decided to investigate these possibilities by participating in a series of internships over the next two years. Currently, I am a science writing intern at a major national laboratory--a highly competitive position that is typically offered only to journalism students. Other internship plans for the coming year include the possibility of my serving as a medical editor and epidemiology intern for the AIDS research division at the Centers of Disease Control in Atlanta , Georgia.
Again, that I am even considering such ambitious opportunities is a direct reflection of how my undergraduate training has shaped me into an excellent communicator and innovative thinker.I can honestly say that the Honors College 's unique educational environment offers intellectual and personal opportunities that would simply not be possible at a larger
university.
Best wishes,
Margret Chang, staff writer
Communications and Public Affairs
Argonne National Laboratory