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Tia Bryant '10 plans on attending graduate school in fall 2011. |
“I chose Randolph-Macon College because of its welcoming environment,” says
Tia Bryant ’10. “I also thought that the campus was beautiful—and it wasn’t too far away from home.” For Bryant, home is Chesterfield, Virginia, but it’s easy to see that she has made Randolph-Macon College her "home away from home."
The
sociology major, who holds a minor in
ethics, is an incredibly active member of the R-MC community. She has been a member of no fewer than 16 clubs or organizations since she began her career at R-MC. Among them: the Residence Hall Association, the Alcohol Advisory Board, Women of Color, Student Government Association, Habitat for Humanity and the Ujima Gospel Choir. And that’s just a sampling.
To read more Student Experience stories, click here. Bryant is especially proud of her involvement with the Ujima Gospel Choir. The choir is a multicultural organization that promotes unity throughout the Randolph-Macon and Ashland communities. “When I joined in 2008, there were only five choir members; now there are over 30 members,” she says. “Being in the choir requires many late-night practices and many performances, but we all do it because we enjoy singing and worshipping God and it brings us all together.”
Bryant was the first recipient of the R-MC Board of Associate’s Leadership Scholarship in 2008. In addition, the Ujima Gospel Choir was named the Best New Organization in 2008. In 2010, Bryant was awarded the 2010 Senior Leadership Award for her hard work and dedication to the campus community.
Bryant’s work with Habitat for Humanity—building houses in New Orleans that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina—is especially important to her. “It is important to me because it shows how meaningful it is to others when you help them,” she says. “Building houses for Habitat for Humanity was one of the most enriching and humbling experiences of my life. When I look back at the experience, it makes me proud that we were able to accomplish such a task.”
Bryant plans on attending graduate school in fall 2011. “I’m going to continue studying sociology, with a focus on criminology,” she says. “The subject fascinates me because I can gain insight on the inequalities in the justice system and learn ways that the system can improve.” Bryant will first do an internship with the Chesterfield Police Department to get some experience and also become a member of their auxiliary force. “I have great hopes that it will give me good experience in the field that I can bring to the classroom,” she says.
Bryant has heartfelt advice for R-MC freshmen: “On this campus there are many opportunities for you to develop yourself both personally and academically,” she says, “but it’s up to you to open your mind and explore them.”
For information about R-MC’s sociology program, visit
http://www.rmc.edu/academics/sociology.aspx For information about R-MC’s ethics program, visit
http://www.rmc.edu/academics/ethics.aspx For more information about the breadth of programs and opportunities available at Randolph-Macon, contact our Admissions Office at (800) 888-1762 or at admissions@rmc.edu.