{"590831":{"#nid":"590831","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet 2017 Spring Graduate Shannon McGeary","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EShannon Marie McGeary was already volunteering in her community as a high school student at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mtparanschool.com\/page\u0022\u003EMount Paran Christian School\u003C\/a\u003E in Kennesaw, Georgia. But McGeary, who is graduating with a B.S. in Biochemistry, had even more chances to pitch in and help while at Georgia Tech, thanks to programs like \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtambassadors.org\/s\/1481\/44-amb\/start.aspx?sid=1481\u0026amp;gid=44\u0026amp;pgid=61\u0022\u003EStudent Ambassadors\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/nssp.gatech.edu\/first-year-faset-orientation\u0022\u003EFASET Orientation\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/orgsync.com\/135731\/chapter\u0022\u003EAlternative Service Breaks\u003C\/a\u003E (ASB).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEven though medical school beckons for the future physician, McGeary\u0026rsquo;s first job after graduation gives her another chance to make a difference.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat attracted you to Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause I was interested in a pre-med degree, I did not see any compelling reasons to attend an engineering university. I am also from an Atlanta suburb, and I wanted college to be a time when I could venture far from home and learn to be independent. But once I toured Georgia Tech, I realized that it was my home.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThroughout my first year at Tech, I fell in love with the campus, the traditions, and the unique passions of all my classmates. While I never imagined coming to Tech or loving it, I cannot imagine myself now as anything but a Ramblin\u0026rsquo; Wreck.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow would you describe your life before enrolling in Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EApart from academics, I enjoyed sports and community service. I was very involved in athletics at my school and spent most of my free time practicing or playing in tournaments with my travel softball team. I also loved to volunteer in my community. I spent most of my free Saturday mornings at the local \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.leaguelineup.com\/welcome.asp?sid=491692463\u0026amp;url=acworthspecialneeds\u0022\u003EHorizon League\u003C\/a\u003E, a baseball league for kids with disabilities. It was so rewarding to be able to share the sport I love so much with kids who otherwise would have been excluded from the game.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the most important thing you learned at Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI think the most important lesson I learned at Georgia Tech was through an \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/engage.gatech.edu\/content\/alternative-service-break-asb\u0022\u003EAlternative Service Breaks\u003C\/a\u003E trip. We traveled to Memphis, and we worked with a local food bank to address food insecurity in the region. It was inspiring because I was able to meet students from different circles of campus who all shared a common passion \u0026ndash; service.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI never expected Georgia Tech, a school known for its engineering and research rigor, to inspire me to create a change in the community, especially through service.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhich professor(s) or class(es) made a big impact on you?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u0026rsquo;ve had many great professors at Georgia Tech, but if I had to pick one that had a profound impact on me, I would choose \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/Baron\/\u0022\u003EWilliam J. Baron\u003C\/a\u003E. After struggling through the material in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/academics\/courses\/chem-2311-\u0022\u003EOrganic Chemistry I\u003C\/a\u003E, I thought that I would be one of the least successful students in his \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/academics\/courses\/chem-2312\u0022\u003EOrganic Chemistry II\u003C\/a\u003E class. However, through his clear teaching style and availability for help outside of class, I was able to get an A, something I thought wasn\u0026rsquo;t possible!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt a time when I was questioning my decision to be a biochemistry major and feeling discouraged about the prospect of being a doctor, Dr. Baron reminded me why I chose this major in the first place.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your most vivid memory of Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of my most vivid memories was at the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ramblinwreck.com\/bowlcentral\/14-orange-bowl.html\u0022\u003E2014 Orange Bowl\u003C\/a\u003E. I travelled to Orlando with my closest friends, and Georgia Tech beat Mississippi State minutes before we rang in the New Year. I have never felt so proud to be a Yellow Jacket!\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIf you participated in experiential learning activities, what was the most valuable outcome of your experience?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI participated in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/modlangs.gatech.edu\/lbat\/ecuador-galapagos\u0022\u003E2014 Language for Business and Technology (LBAT) \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Estudy-abroad program the summer after my first year. I traveled to Mexico and Ecuador with about 20 students to learn Spanish through business and history classes. We even had the opportunity to travel to the Galapagos Islands!\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe whole experience was eye-opening, from living with a host family, to trying new cuisines, to making friends in the host universities.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat advice would you give to incoming freshmen at Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EYou get out of Tech what you put in. If you seek out organizations and people with similar interests and passions, you will absolutely love your time here. If you keep to yourself and don\u0026rsquo;t give back to the school or community, you will probably walk away with a mediocre Tech experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has so much to offer, whether through student organizations, community service, intramural sports with your friends, study abroad, or research. If you choose to engage in a couple of things you are passionate about outside of academics, you will develop into a more well-rounded graduate who truly loves their alma mater.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat feedback would you give to Georgia Tech to improve the campus experience for future students?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEncourage us to learn the material outside of lecture. Although most people groan at the idea of group projects, they are actually very beneficial in creating study groups, and even friendships!\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere are you headed after graduation? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI am headed to San Antonio, Texas to teach middle-school life science through \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.teachforamerica.org\/\u0022\u003ETeach for America\u003C\/a\u003E. The science knowledge I have gained from Tech, as well as the social awareness I\u0026rsquo;ve learned through ASB and other student organizations, have prepared me to teach students who have been overlooked.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter Teach for America, I hope to attend medical school and then serve traditionally underserved populations here in Atlanta, or wherever life takes me.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Advice to new students: You get out of Tech what you put in"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EShannon McGeary was already an active volunteer while in high school, but Georgia Tech gave her more chances to make a difference in the community.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Shannon McGeary continued her volunteering ways when she got to Georgia Tech."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2017-04-24 19:02:47","changed_gmt":"2017-04-27 14:58:24","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2017-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"590834":{"id":"590834","type":"image","title":"Shannon McGeary","body":null,"created":"1493060859","gmt_created":"2017-04-24 19:07:39","changed":"1493060859","gmt_changed":"2017-04-24 19:07:39","alt":"","file":{"fid":"225109","name":"Shannon McGeary.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Shannon%20McGeary.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Shannon%20McGeary.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":180118,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Shannon%20McGeary.jpg?itok=ryEszJlI"}}},"media_ids":["590834"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.cos.gatech.edu\/hg\/item\/589933","title":"William J. Baron: Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching Award"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"174141","name":"Shannon McGeary"},{"id":"919","name":"Biochemistry"},{"id":"174142","name":"Student Ambassadors"},{"id":"174143","name":"FASET Orientation"},{"id":"174144","name":"Alternative Service Breaks"},{"id":"174145","name":"William J. Baron"},{"id":"174146","name":"Organic Chemistry I"},{"id":"174147","name":"Organic Chemistry II"},{"id":"174148","name":"2014 Orange Bowl"},{"id":"174149","name":"Language for Business and Technology (LBAT)"},{"id":"9366","name":"Teach For America"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}