快猫app短视

Some students come to college determined to earn their degree. Spring graduate Jaylee Kilgo was determined to leave a legacy.

Arriving on 快猫app短视鈥檚 campus, Kilgo already loved storytelling. Michael Van Wagenen, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of History, showed her how a degree in history could help her preserve and share stories in a meaningful way.

鈥淒r. Van Wagenen showed me all the things I could do with a history degree,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 had already been thinking about changing my major, and I felt like it was a sign. He helped me get an internship and really changed the direction of my education.鈥�

Through her program, she received hands-on experience in research, preservation and interpretation of historical artifacts. Kilgo was especially drawn to projects featuring the stories of influential women at Georgia Southern. Her drive to uncover and share overlooked stories served as a defining part of her collegiate experience, leading her to work on projects including Georgia Brown Watson, the and a World War II memorial.

鈥淥ne of my favorite things has been preserving the history of Georgia Southern,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want students years from now to still have the opportunity to learn about the people and stories that helped shape this institution.鈥�

Kilgo took her passion for history further by studying abroad at Georgia Southern鈥檚 Learning Center in Wexford, Ireland.

鈥淚reland was unlike anything I had ever experienced,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat was the first time I鈥檇 been abroad. The architecture is just absolutely beautiful in Ireland, and being able to walk to class while also walking in the middle of a town was really cool and unique to experience.鈥�

While in Wexford, Kilgo attended classes and took educational excursions throughout Ireland. The unique structure allowed her to connect classroom lessons directly to real-world applications.

鈥淏eing able to learn about something in the classroom and then go see it for yourself was incredible,鈥� she said. 鈥淟earning hands-on from the native Irish communities and experiencing their history, culture and landscapes was extraordinary.鈥�

Kilgo never expected her college path to include so many opportunities for leadership, research and service, but she seized each one that came her way. From studying abroad in Ireland to serving as a Southern Ambassador, earning a role as Panhellenic president and preserving University history through archival projects with , she met every chance with open arms.

鈥淚鈥檝e lived every single day to the fullest that I could,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have no regrets about my time here at Georgia Southern.鈥�

Her engagement, including work with the , helped her appreciate just how special the Georgia Southern community really is. It was that bond to the Georgia Southern community that became the foundation for her experience.

She credits faculty members Howard Keeley, Ph.D., Brian Feltman, Ph.D., William (Bill) Allison, Ph.D., and Shana Bridges, Ph.D., as well as her advisors and staff members Daniel McBurney and Megan Bowen, and the teams within Special Collections and Fraternity and Sorority Life, as key to her success. From helping her navigate graduate school applications to supporting her research ideas or simply assuring her that she is doing amazing things, these mentors were crucial to her.

鈥淭here were plenty of times I would walk into someone鈥檚 office and just need guidance,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he people at Georgia Southern are always willing to help.鈥�

When asked how she hopes to be remembered, Kilgo doesn鈥檛 point to titles or accomplishments, but to her impact.

鈥淚 want to leave behind a legacy of someone warm and kind, but also made a difference in the people around her,鈥� she said. 鈥淗aving the opportunity to continue to have an impact on the institution through preserving Georgia Southern history and that potentially being a learning outcome for someone years down the road, that鈥檚 what I want to leave a legacy of.鈥�

Having crossed the stage at commencement, Kilgo leaves not only with a history degree and a communication studies minor, but also with a collection of memories. As she prepares for graduate school in Tennessee, she believes it is time to carry the impact of Eagle Nation beyond her home state of Georgia.

鈥淢y impact has already been made here,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ow it is time for me to go do that somewhere else.鈥�

As for future students searching for their place on campus, her advice is simple.

鈥淛ust do it,鈥� she said. 鈥淕et involved. Talk to people. Don鈥檛 be afraid to try something new. You only have a few years here, and before you know it, you鈥檒l be graduating. Make every opportunity count.鈥�