Kyle's Georgia State Blog
Major: Marketing
Hometown: Fayetteville, GA
Graduation Year: 2009
Hobbies: music, writing, reading, metal, rock 'n roll, art, philosophy, soul, jazz, Guitar Hero, learning
Kyle's Recent Entries
The End is near!
“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Just a few quick midday thoughts:
As of the twenty-sixth day of this month, I will have finally turned twenty-one and have registered for my final year of college.
Don’t panic, but just know that one apparantly cannot stop (nor even slow down!) the passing of time. Scary, I know. Time, oh sweet Time, quite the tempest are thee! I have been fascinating with the all-too-often overwhelming apparant rapidity with which time moves. I’ve pondered how time procures such great change, in people, places, and things. Things are so different in my life, at Georgia State, and in the world at large, even than when I first started this blog … in my short but whirlwind college experience, for certain. In a way, I’m starting to understand the Van Wilder complex. But fear not! I know my time is fast approaching, and I have vowed to not overstay my welcome. I came in on the eight-semester plan and I’m sticking to it. Somewhere out there, I know the next Kyle Stapleton is gearing up to make his mark on this university. Granted, he or she is likely a less awesome version of me, but that’s irrelevant. Ha.
On another note, Red Bull Illume is at Centennial Olympic Park through March 16th. More details on that here. Trust me when I tell you that it is a sensory experience like no other. I spent most of my time at the kickoff losing myself in all the beautiful, illuminated photography. The art has a way of humbling and awing, especially in the sweet Southern night air, against the canvas of the Atlanta skyline. For a very, very small taste, here’s a picture from the event at one of its stops on the west coast. Check it out if you’re in town!
Ooooone more thing. If you’re reading this and you’re a prospective student, you will likely be receiving a postcard with information about Freshman Learning Communities soon. Be forewarned … it has my face on it (and fellow ‘07 Inceptor Carl, on the left in the orange … that guy ALWAYS wears polos).
Bear with me as I gear up for this last year … we’re all on the ride of our lives. Life is good.
Until next time … stay positive.
movin’ right along.
“You will be showered with good luck before your next birthday.”
I ordered Chinese food last night, and the aforementioned proverbial “wisdom” came via my fortune cookie. Silly, perhaps, but still wholly good incentive to maintain a positive outlook. I must admit, 2008 is off to a great start - despite taking a nineteen-credit-hour courseload (yes, you read that correctly), I feel more engaged than ever before by my classes. Perhaps the proximity of graduation offers additional incentive; nonetheless, I feel alive. I can only hope that this transcends that sensationalism that the beginning of each semester brings - that is, I hope to finish as strong as I am starting.
Before I get too far into my entry, I’d like to take a moment to extend my sincerest congratulations to the Fall 2007 line of our own Zeta Mu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., including two members of my Incept family - my brother Toren, and the newest Big Man on Campus, Jerry. I would be remiss if I didn’t extend equal congratulations to my friends Rennard, Jorie, Terrance, Ken, and Garrett as well. I look forward to the new line’s proliferation of APhiA’s already profound impact on our campus. Here’s one of the pictures I took at their probate:
I am obligated to start the main portion this entry, as I have all others, by astoundedly noting the passing of time. At the conclusion of this spring semester, my collegiate career will be seventy-five percent complete. Seventy-five percent?! As you undoubtedly understand, any sort of opportunity for retrospect brings a subsequent need to share whatever “wisdom” has been attained. That said, may I present to you …
EVERYTHING I EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE THAT I LEARNED IN COLLEGE [outside of the classroom, of course]
1. Focus on what matters.
I found it all too easy to convince myself that maintaining important relationships would be a piece of cake. After graduation, I actively pursued a “fresh start,” which unfortunately also entailed an unnecessary distance between myself and others - in some cases, this was a good thing. In other cases, however, it was not. As much as “it’s who you know” applies in a business sense, an extension of it can also apply personally. As best expressed by It’s a Wonderful Life, “no man is a failure who has friends.” I see so much sacrificed by many of my fellow students - time, energy, health, happiness, relationships - in the name of “success.” And for what? Students are living and dying over their GPAs, their résumés, and their ability to pursue the “American dream.” In no way am I endorsing apathy of any kind, but all too many people of our generation have become positively obsessed with high salary, white picket fence, two-and-a-half kids, sport utility vehicle, suburban utopia, and it has manifested unfortunate limitations upon the ability to find true happiness. Sure, my education and future stability is as important to me as the next guy’s, but I reached a point where I could no longer let it affect my well-being. I wake up every day and give my best effort, start to finish, and that’s all I can ask of myself. Since adopting that philosophy, I have never found greater joy in my life. I can assure you that living for “things” will only bring you extremely transient satisfaction. Living for love, on the other hand, will bring neverending joy. When I say “love,” I speak in terms far beyond one simple definition. I certainly do not mean it in the sense of finding “that special someone” - Heaven knows if it’s brought you as much grief as it’s brought me until lately, it will do you almost no good. I mean love in the sense of passion. Passion for what you do. Passion for the people around you, both those you care about and in passing. Passion for waking up every morning and facing the day with a smile. Passion to do whatever you’ve been put on this earth to do. See, “things” come and go … but love? It stays as long as you will let it. Let the following pictures evidence to you that I have plenty of love to live for. Certainly my hope for you is that you do, too.
[No, I don’t have any children. This is my cousin. Picture of me with a baby on the Internet … that’s how rumors get started. Just wanted to clarify.]
2. Stay true to yourself.
I’m a simple guy. I like people, rock ‘n roll, Chick-Fil-A sweet tea, being barefoot, writing constantly, losing myself in books, live music, good conversation, college football, sunshine, Georgia heat, and the occasional road trip. That said, the only evident downside to immersing yourself in diversity is the ease with which you can lose yourself in it. I note this so as to emphasize the importance of being yourself, especially at a place whose hallmark is its incredible diversity. Just because they don’t play Lynyrd Skynyrd in the Plaza on Tuesdays and Thursdays doesn’t mean you can’t get down to the music … nor does it mean you have to forsake the sweet sounds of Freebird for the new culture you have discovered. I cite this personal reference as an example, but think long and hard about it: what makes you … you? What attributes of your personality do you truly value? Would you really want to lose those great things to Think about it this way: we can all learn so much from one another, but only if we have first learned about ourselves. That’s what makes a place like Georgia State so great. What would it possibly have to offer if its people were all trying to be like one another? Some diversity that would be! So in short, keep it real. Anyone at G.State who has come in contact with me will tell you that I am very much a personality. It’s because I’ve always taken pride in being myself! This picture is representative of that. As I mentioned in my last entry, I hosted Georgia State Idol auditions last semester. What you may or may not have noticed is that I did so barefoot. Why, you ask? Because I like being barefoot. I did it simply because I wanted to. I was just being myself.
3. Live without boundaries.
As I mentioned with the first goal, limitation of self is a weakness of the human mind. You know why people always harp on attitude being so important? Because it is. We are all capable of so much more than we allow ourselves to believe, and all we’re missing is a little bombast and a lot of willingness to do whatever it takes. Not to be confused with simple bufoonery, this mentality of truly infinite possibilities creates just that - truly infinite possibilities. Fear of failure, social anxiety, be the obstacle whatever it may, it can always be overcome. While rationale and careful thought cannot be underestimated, recall for a moment the things you wish you could have done, but qualms and “what if’s” paralyzed your ability to follow through. Imagine, then, if those boundaries were removed. How far could you go? How high could you climb? Take the leap.
[As an aside, this is one of my all-time favorite pictures. If you like straight-up, no-holds-barred rock ‘n roll, you owe it to yourself to check out Valient Thorr, whose lead singer is shown above. You will not be disappointed.]
4. Take it to the next level.
While a self-admitted creature of habit, I take a strong stance against stagnation. We simply do not have enough time on this earth to waste. It always amazes me to see people who simply do not want to challenge themselves. I take great pride in bettering myself. I love to learn constantly, and I always feel great sadness for the people who feel otherwise. What a wonderful world we live in! How could anyone be so apathetic to it? Regardless, this is perhaps my competitive streak rearing its head, but I revel in not being perfect. When you’re perfect, there’s nowhere else to go. There are always ways to improve, and my desire is to do so as much as possible. You can never know what you’re made of if you don’t try. I use the following picture because it’s a simple example - you can never have enough Red Bull cans! But the point is that I set a goal - to collect as many cans as possible - and in a little over eighteen months, I’ve collected somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 cans. The same is true for less trivial/ridiculously-college-behavior-ish things. Set goals without worrying about the boundaries (see Goal #3), work to achieve it, conquer it, and then strive for bigger and better. Seriously, it’s a dumb cliché but I honestly believe it. The only way to be awesome is (a) to know that you are and then (b) just go for it. All the time.
5. Rock … hard.
This one’s a little less important in the grand scheme of things, but it’s important to take time for yourself. Don’t do so at the expense of your hard work, but certainly have fun. You only get this beautiful balance of maximum freedom and minimal responsibility once. Take care of what little you have to [this especially goes for the no-mortgage, no-children traditional students such as myself], and enjoy the rest.
I used the language I did because having fun for me usually equates to going to shows, and lots of them, as you’ve seen over the past few entries. This semester is no exception: there are tons of shows coming up this spring, and Atlanta’s as much a hotbed as ever for great, groundbreaking sounds. My personal recommendation for 2008 is The EARL (East Atlanta Restaurant and Lounge). I went to a show there in December, and I believe it may become my new favorite hideaway. If my first show of 2008 was any indication - I saw British punk imports Gallows essentially destroy The Masquerade - then my faith in music is not at all lost.
Go forth and be awesome.
6. Graduate.
Graduation is now my single greatest motivational factor for academic success. At the conclusion of this semester, I will be a COLLEGE SENIOR - it blows my mind to think about - so I have to keep my nose to the grindstone and successfully reach the next level (see Goal #4). Don’t get me wrong, college has been amazing, enlightening, and tremendously fun, but I think - or at least I hope - we all outgrow it eventually. Regardless, I am excited for what the future holds as my tenure as a Georgia State student draws closer and closer to an end - and I just may get out of here before some of the other (older) bloggers! Ha ha, had to gloat. I don’t have a personal picture to adequately (or even humorously) represent that, so instead, here’s a picture of my dad [on the right] playing Guitar Hero over the break. It’s relevant enough because it’s both awesome and features a Georgia State alum [for those just tuning in, he received his B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from G.State in … uh … a long time ago] … so here you go.
As one final note, I want to leave you with this thought. Instead of cheering for this guy, you should cheer for the Panthers. Come to a home basketball game … like the Homecoming game against Northeastern - it’s Saturday, February 16th at 2 PM. You can check the Men’s Basketball schedule here.
My apologies to the people who were actually Pats fans before they pretty much ran the gamut … Brady gives me a headache.
If you read to this point, I thank you. This entry was an amazing, cathartic experience for me and I hope you enjoyed it as well. Send me an e-mail just to say hey and let me know that you did. I’ll proudly shake your hand!
… Um, electronically.
Until next time … stay positive.
been a long time.
Wow, my apologies. My last post was February 9th? I can’t tell you how much living I’ve done since then. Let me bring you up to speed on one of the most amazing and eventful calendar years of my young life … let’s get right to it.
First of all, remember that little “Incept” thing I talked about? Well that little thing turned into a big family. I’ve found brothers I never knew I had. The first is my twin brother Jaz’. If you can’t see the resemblance, you’re just not looking hard enough. The second is Toren, my brother in rock ‘n roll.
In saying that, I want to highlight that the Incept experience brought seventeen total strangers together and turned them into family. We came from totally different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, and found not only common ground, but love for one another.
As a team, we experienced plenty of trials and tribulations, and actually getting to the summer and leading orientation conferences was a pretty intense experience in and of itself. Getting there was beyond half the battle. But the summer? Ah, the summer … I met so many people and had such a blast being a part of what I believe is the most heralded and well-respected organization on Georgia State’s campus. It was truly an honor to be a part of something so big. Plus I had a blast just being myself, interacting with all the students and their parents, having the opportunity to sit back and laugh a little to myself at everyone’s panic in the face of the unknown (because I certainly remember mine!), helping calm all that panic, putting my love for G.State to good use, and making a difference in our campus community. Oh, and being that guy that made all the girls turn to their parents or their friends and said “Ooh, I think I’m going to like it here …”
KIDDING. Sort of. Ha ha.
The best part for me, though, as I mentioned, was the people I had the privilege of getting to know, working with, and coming to call my family. That said, the conference experience was memorable, but what I’ll always cherish is the time spent with the team away from work. Any group that can work 65 or 70 hours together every week, then STILL wants to hang out afterward - that’s pretty astounding, if you ask me! Our lives were just Incept and each other. It was good times and good tunes. Whether it was going and playing trivia at an old hometown haunt of mine, playing video games, staying up all night doing a whole lot of nothing, or celebrating our diversity the natural way - by jammin’. Be it doing the Soulja Boy dance, unwinding to some T-Pain, playing air guitar to Guns ‘N Roses, or even blasting the unlikely 80’s tunes we discovered like Winger’s “Seventeen,” Warrant’s “Cherry Pie,” or Extreme’s “Play With Me.” Anytime I hear those songs, I’ll think of this summer. The Office of New Student Programs and Parent Relations, Incept’s home base, is now recruiting the 2008 team … it’s crazy to think that the experience has come and gone for my new family and me, but I can’t wait to see how they stack up. But I digress. Here are a few of the literally hundreds of pictures we took:
Short version: the Incept experience is like nothing else you will ever, well, experience in your life.
I also got a job with Red Bull - proof that dreams do come true! It’s been a blast so far, and I had the opportunity to attend a kickoff event in Nashville culminating with Red Bull Flugtag, which you can check out here. If I didn’t love Atlanta as much as I did, I’d probably move to Nashville. As an aside, probably my best “crazy college kid” story involves driving to Nashville on a Wednesday night to be in the music video of one of my favorite bands, turning right around after the show, and driving back for a 9:30 accounting class. I never got the chance, though, to experience the city like I wanted, and this gave me that opportunity. It’s literally the coolest job a college student could have. The other campus reps from every school in the southeast all gathered in Nashville for lots of great brainstorming, good times, plenty and, of course, for Flugtag. Here I have a picture of all of us gathered for one of our many events, and as you can tell by the pictures, there wasn’t a dull moment the entire trip:
Another part of what made the summer so great is that while it was busy, no academic or extracurricular stresses presented themselves, because Incept, as I mentioned, was my life. My off days gave me the opportunity to do what I love most - catch lots and lots of live music. I went to so many shows and discovered so much great new music, all thanks to the proximity of all Atlanta’s great music venues. One of the highlights was catching 311, my favorite band from high school, at HiFi Buys Ampitheatre in July. I was able to share that experience with some of the Inceptors, and that was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the summer. It also lent itself to the Picture of the Summer, as we were lying out there on the lawn of the venue. The way you will undoubtedly feel when you look at this picture is how the experiences I was able to have this summer made me feel every single day.
But all good things must come to an end. Fortunately, good things turned into better things. This fall semester has been the most eventful of my college career! I’m well into my major (marketing) and couldn’t be happier with my choice. I enjoy contributing to my classes, and I walk out of them more rewarded than ever before. I suppose that means I did a good job selecting my major. My experience outside the classroom changed a good bit as well. Before Incept, I already felt like I was pretty well woven into the campus’ fabric, and that I knew a lot of people. After Incept, however, I guess a lot of people remembered my face, because I got a lot of “Hey, aren’t you that guy …?” A LOT. I was visiting a friend at the Commons one of the first weeknights of this semester, and I stepped in an elevator full of people, when a chorus of “hey, it’s that Inceptor guy!” broke out. It was a strange but hilarious experience, and probably the height of the sensational effects of my experience this summer. I’ve gained a lot of new friends (and even more Facebook friends) as sort of a secondhand result of Incept. I also had the pleasure of co-hosting Georgia State Idol tryouts with fellow Inceptor and team joker Quay. Check my Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt … jammin’!
I made sure to tell all my tour groups this summer about Plaza Time - the designed break from classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:15 to 1:00 PM when most people hang out in the Library Plaza - because it’s bigger and better than it’s ever been before. Someone caught a candid of Jaz’ and I (the hardest working twins in the world), and managed to capture, oh, probably two-thirds of the crowd or so. Plaza Time is truly something to behold:
Reading my previous posts, I can only laugh. I remember being so excited the first time my face appeared on a university publication … now I keep a portfolio I can proudly display. I also spent and/or wasted (depending on who you ask) a lot of time indulging in that blasted addiction commonly referred to as Guitar Hero. Toren (the guy on the right in the second picture of this post) and I found a common interest in Guitar Hero, and being the competitive spirits that we both are, we spent a lot of our free time playing against one another. He’s pretty good, but I’m the champion. All that said, Guitar Hero III comes out next week … I can’t believe it. I’ve hardly mastered the second installment. I’m trying to refrain from going and picking it up because I’m proud to say that I’m having a strong academic semester and I know how easily that can all come to a halt once I pick up that guitar controller … ha.
Let me apologize again … this entry has been far longer and far more scatterbrained than I intended. If you made it to this point, thank you for surviving my rambling … hopefully you just vicariously experienced one of the greatest times of my entire life. Hopefully you gained something from it … I know I did.
In all, a lot has changed both for myself and for Georgia State. I can wholeheartedly say that we have both grown for the better. I’ve gained so much in my time here and now that I’m in the second half of my college career, I can’t wait to see how much further my alma mater advances by the time I get my diploma.
Until next time … stay positive.
turning over a new leaf.
Boy, 2007. Twenty years ago right now, I was still in the womb, still a few months away from even seeing the light of day …
But that was TWO DECADES ago. Think of all the presidents, the world-changing events, the trends, the fashions, all the things that have changed in TWENTY YEARS … I can’t imagine how my parents feel! Twenty years used to sound like such a long time, but I feel so young. 2007 feels like prime time to me.
And when I say “prime time,” I mean my time at GSU in particular. I decided that I would “turn over a new leaf” in 2007, if you will. For some, 2007 is the Year of the Boar; for me, 2007 is the Year of Zen. (think more Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance than Zen Buddhism). This is the year I challenge myself … it can be easy to let go and lose sight of your goals once you get on your own. I’m up for the challenge. Call it New Year’s resolutions, if you must. I prefer to call it Zen … finding balance in all things.
Take, for example, my new routine (granted, I’m only on the second week, but I’m motivated, so I assume it will continue): I have set aside study time, I’ve been getting in the bed earlier (insomnia is a college plague, and I had it bad enough before I got here), and I’m going to the Rec Center five days a week. I’m most excited about working out because I’d been sorely disappointed in my rapid decline in physical activity, going from being on my high school football team and reporting to “Zero Period” every morning at 7 AM to barely being able to trudge from the Lofts to class, which is all of a grueling three-minute walk. So I’m on a five-day-per-week workout plan, I’m trying to get more sleep, I’m trying to genuinely get more out of my eductional experience, and I’m trying to get in a bit of a rhythm. It’s going well so far … my spirits are high. I honestly can’t believe I’d hardly gone to the Rec Center before this semester … I mean, it’s paid for by our student fees, so once you pay your tuition and fees at the beginnging of every semester, you essentially have free access to a gym … a really, really nice gym. Don’t believe me? Come on tour through the Welcome Center and check it out for yourself … it’s typically everyone’s favorite part of the tour.
But back to finding Zen … I was given incentive to work hard, motivation at the very least, by a number of things that popped up right around the turn of the new year, the most predominant being my making the cover of the Family Weekend brochure (click HERE if you’re interested in Family Weekend, by the way). Just a little piece of behind-the-scenes information - the night before, I had accidentally gotten my nose broken at a concert at the Masquerade, and the swelling of my nose and upper lip was immense during the photo shoot, so badly, in fact, that I couldn’t move my lip up enough to fully smile. Lesson learned: heavy metal and representing your university well are a little difficult to balance.
Also, I was fortunate enough to make the inside cover of Georgia State’s 2007 wall calendar … a little cheesy, I know, but very exciting … we shot at Starbuck’s at the bottom of the Equitable building, right across the street from our own Aderhold Learning Center … good times.
Last, however, and anything but least, I found out recently that I was selected to become a member of the 2007 Incept: New Student Orientation team … which, to me, has always seemed one of our campus’ biggest honors. I was flattered, thrilled, and completely psyched. We train once a week for five hours or so, and let me tell you, having two training sessions under my belt, it’s intense. If you end up coming to Georgia State this summer, watch for me. I’ll be happy to tell you everything I know about GSU, and if these past two weeks are any indication, it will be everything, or something very close to it.
I guess all I’m trying to convey in showing you those pictures (other than my excitement) is the world of opportunity that you can engage at Georgia State, often before you even realize how much you’ve accomplished (I often joke to people that “I can still remember what the air smelled like at my high school graduation …” and, now, here I am). This campus, Atlanta, the world … they truly are your oyster. I feel like I’ve been good to Georgia State, but that’s because it’s been very, very good to me.
On a far lighter and less preachy note, here are two pictures from the holiday break. I hope you enjoyed yours, I know I enjoyed mine. I actually enjoyed being at home over the break [gasp!]. College students aren’t supposed to admit that … don’t tell my mother.
These pictures are a very, very, very small sampling of those which I took during my visit to the one and only Georgia Aquarium … that place is a photographer’s dream (and, I suppose, a marine biologist’s, too). Give me my iPod, a professional quality camera, and two hours in that place when it’s not crowded, and I’m in Heaven. I can’t believe the world’s largest aquarium is right around the corner … I can walk there from campus in fifteen minutes. It blows my mind how much there is to do here.
And finally, I leave you with the Atlanta Picture of the Week:
75/85 Connector northbound at the North Avenue exit, right by the Village. The red blur you see is a “V” (as in The Varsity).
I can genuinely say that I feel better (physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally) than I ever have in my entire life.
I love college.
Until next time …
… stay positive.
It has to start somewhere …
Hello, my name is Kyle, and I’m the best looking guy at Georgia State University … just kidding. But seriously.
Okay, now that we’ve broken the ice, let’s get right to it. Long introductions are a formality, plus I’m sure you’ll get to know me better as time passes anyway. Just know that if you can expect one thing from me, it’s a sense of humor.
To be honest, I was not initially drawn to Georgia State, mostly in the regard that I paid it no mind. My dad received his Bachelor’s in Broadcast Journalism from Georgia State (I won’t tell you what year; he’s a “young guy” … wink), so, in essence, I thought like most young men do, and wanted to forge my own path. In high school, however, I quickly came to realize that I had already done so. I listened to different music, exhibited different interests, thought different thoughts … I felt a far stronger desire with the world around me, it seemed, than did most of my peers. So when application time came around senior year, the “college towns” just weren’t cutting it for me, not to mention I was getting sick of the same ol’, same ol’ every weekend in my hometown. After looking at school after school, I hit a brick wall. I decided to apply to and visit Georgia State, and did so around the middle of my senior year. When I visited, I fell in love. I had a bit of a “love affair” with Atlanta that had been cultivated when I was very young, and my desire to envelop myself in everything about the city - the lights, the sounds, the ambiance, the art, the movement - had grown. Atlanta was perfect for me: not too fast, not too slow, great people, great vibes, and plenty of Southern comfort. The campus was laid-back, the “college” atmosphere was omnipresent, but not shoved down my throat, and the many, many different faces made me feel comfortable. I had always enjoyed surrounding myself with diverse groups of people … Georgia State wasn’t perfect, but it felt great. I also found out that day that the college of my major, The J. Mack Robinson College of Business, was nationally ranked in both its undergraduate and graduate programs, that it offered a viable connection to the Atlanta and national business communities (it’s who you know!), that its faculty was renowned, credible, and experienced in the business world, and that it offered tremendous study abroad opportunities. I mean, come on … what was there not to love for me?
My visit actually helped me develop an analogy I relay to prospective students on the tours I give for the Welcome Center (you should tour our campus, by the way, and ask for me by name). I tell people not to feel pressured into thinking that Georgia State (or any college, for that matter) is “for them.” Visiting a college is like going on a blind date: either you feel the spark or you don’t, and without that spark, you’re going to have a hard time sustaining a passionate and lasting relationship. You invest so much more in (and perform so much better at) a college that you truly love.
To top all that, I received a freshman scholarship application in the Welcome Center that day, filled it out on a whim, was selected as a finalist, and eventually ended up being selected as a recipient of a full academic scholarship. I mention it as a footnote only because I was already sold on Georgia State before I knew I was a recipient, and that was truly the icing on a very, very delicious cake.
Some of you may be saying, “Good story, Kyle.” Some of you may understandably not very much enjoy reading (though I know I certainly do) … a picture is, after all, worth a thousand words. For the more visual audience, therefore, here’s a brief rundown of reasons, mostly non-academic, why I chose Georgia State University …
In all, I chose Georgia State University because it was right for me. I see very few other legitimate reasons in choosing the place where a young person will be living, breathing, and thriving for the next four (or five, or six, or twelve) years.
Be sure to tune in again soon … until then, stay positive.