{"667953":{"#nid":"667953","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Different Kind of Test","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cI didn\u2019t think I\u2019d be smiling,\u201d Carson Garrett, AE 2025, says as he watches \u003Cem\u003ESurvivor \u003C\/em\u003Ehost Jeff Probst snuff his torch. It\u2019s day 25 in Fiji, and Garrett is the last contestant to be eliminated in the season 44 finale of the CBS reality show. \u201cYou should be smiling,\u201d Probst replies. \u201cGood job.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOne of the youngest players to compete on \u003Cem\u003ESurvivor\u003C\/em\u003E, the 21-year-old from Rome, Georgia, also stood out as one of the most prepared \u2014 ever, according to the show\u2019s producers. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cMy approach was, \u2018This is a test. It\u2019s a test in a different way, and I\u2019m going to be as prepared as I would be for any exam or for any homework assignment,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI asked myself, \u2018What can I do? What can I prepare for? I want to be ready for everything that comes my way.\u2019\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAnd he was. During this season\u2019s casting process, Garrett took a 3D design class at Georgia Tech, and he began designing and printing puzzles from previous \u003Cem\u003ESurvivor \u003C\/em\u003Eseasons \u2014 which paid off during several challenges. To prepare for weeks of meager food supplies and inevitable weight loss, he put on extra pounds and researched the best way to build muscle quickly. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHe also read dozens of books about social relationships, how to be an effective listener, and how to determine if someone is lying. He wasn\u2019t always able to successfully navigate the deceptions that are integral to the competition, but, he said, \u201cIt did give me foresight and confidence, and maybe I was better at this than I was expecting. I was this young kid who everyone might underestimate, and I wanted to be as prepared as I could be.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETwo Roads Converged\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGarrett\u2019s path to \u003Cem\u003ESurvivor\u003C\/em\u003E is inseparable from his Georgia Tech journey. His uncle and several friends had attended the Institute, it was close to home, and he knew it was a great school. \u201cI was honored to get in, especially because the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Eaerospace engineering program\u003C\/a\u003E is No. 1 in the U.S. \u2014 that\u2019s incredible for the undergraduate program.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAt the end of his first year at Tech, he was at home, watching \u003Cem\u003ESurvivor\u003C\/em\u003E at 2 a.m. In that moment, he decided to apply for the show. \u201cI spent five minutes talking in the middle of my bedroom, whispering to the camera.\u201d The next day, Garrett received word from NASA that he\u2019d been accepted into their L\u2019SPACE Program, a 12-week class in which students learn NASA mission procedures and protocols from industry professionals and complete team-based projects. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENot long after, having also been selected for \u003Cem\u003ESurvivor\u003C\/em\u003E, casting began, and he was soon juggling academics and reality TV. How did he make it all work? \u201cI think that Georgia Tech is such a challenging place \u2014 in a good way,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I think my approach was heavily influenced by the people I was surrounded by at school. We\u2019re all such driven people, and I\u2019m honored to represent the school in that way. I\u2019m very happy with my college experience and how it helped me in the game.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGarrett even brought his own data-driven analysis to the finale, having drawn up charts ahead of time, documenting how each of the three finalists voted throughout the season and how that related to their gameplay. \u201cIt\u2019s an important piece of the puzzle,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople were talking about how this person had better stats than that person, and I said, \u2018Well, let\u2019s talk about it\u2019\u201d \u2014 using actual statistics.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThough he missed out on the $1 million prize, Garrett\u2019s hard work paid off in other ways, giving him a new sense of confidence and perspective. \u201cI was so immensely proud of myself for pushing through and being able to see that translated in my game,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are going to be ups and downs in life, but look at it in a positive light. I did the best I could, and I\u2019ll take that with me wherever I go.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech aerospace engineering student takes on the challenges of \u0027Survivor\u0027 \u2014 and self-discovery."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA Georgia Tech aerospace engineering student takes on the challenges of \u003Cem\u003ESurvivor\u003C\/em\u003E \u2014 and self-discovery.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech aerospace engineering student takes on the challenges of \u0027Survivor\u0027 \u2014 and self-discovery."}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2023-06-01 01:12:10","changed_gmt":"2023-06-01 17:12:41","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670908":{"id":"670908","type":"image","title":"Carson Garrett headshot","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETech student Garrett Carson finished in fourth place on season 44 of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ESurvivor\u003C\/em\u003E. Photo: Robert Voets\/CBS\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1685582220","gmt_created":"2023-06-01 01:17:00","changed":"1685623001","gmt_changed":"2023-06-01 12:36:41","alt":"Survivor Contestant and Georgia Tech Student Carson Garrett","file":{"fid":"253874","name":"Carson.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/31\/Carson.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/31\/Carson.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2966235,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/31\/Carson.jpg?itok=lGgKvAq8"}},"670909":{"id":"670909","type":"image","title":"Survivor Contestant and Georgia Tech Student Carson Garrett","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESurvivor contestant and Georgia Tech student Carson Garrett on campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1685582291","gmt_created":"2023-06-01 01:18:11","changed":"1685582291","gmt_changed":"2023-06-01 01:18:11","alt":"Survivor Contestant and Georgia Tech Student Carson Garrett","file":{"fid":"253875","name":"Carson 2.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/31\/Carson%202.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/31\/Carson%202.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2839718,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/31\/Carson%202.jpeg?itok=atH0gb8O"}}},"media_ids":["670908","670909"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/yang-aero-maker-space-ams","title":" The Yang Aero Maker Space (AMS)"},{"url":"https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/news\/2022\/09\/aerospace-engineering-school-ranked-1-nation","title":" Aerospace Engineering School Ranked #1 in the Nation"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2022\/12\/08\/georgia-tech-student-wins-big-wheel-fortune","title":"Georgia Tech Student Wins Big on \u2018Wheel of Fortune\u2019"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stacy.braukman@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EStacy Braukman\u003C\/a\u003E -\u0026nbsp;Senior\u0026nbsp;Writer and\u0026nbsp;Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["stacy.braukman@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}