STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

MEET LINDSEY

As a first generation college student, Lindsey Potter said she entered the world of higher education with hypothetical blinders on, unaware of SJR State’s student life opportunities and the possibilities they could offer.

At first, her collegiate days were void of student interaction as well as campus and club activities. Potter said she would arrive on campus, attend class, and then leave. It wasn’t until she stepped outside of her comfort zone and joined her first campus organization that she began to understand the power of fellowship and that her college experience would ultimately reflect the amount of effort she invested in it. “It's all about enrichment, growth and living outside your normal boundaries,” she said. “Your college experience is what you make it.”

“I started out slowly, but am glad to say that I’m finishing out my first degree with fervor,” Potter said. “Getting involved makes such a difference. I can't stress it enough. Communication is the catalyst.”

For Potter, becoming active on campus has led to some incredible opportunities, including scholarships, job offers, awards and recognition, lasting friendships, conferences in both Seattle and Nashville, networking, and finally, “an immense and intangible personal growth and discovery that I will carry with me for a lifetime,” she said.

Potter completes her last semester at SJR State this summer and concludes her role as the President of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She advises all students to become active on campus and with their peers; however, her enthusiasm for sharing advice doesn’t end here. She has a passion for life and a passion to share her successes, so much so that she created her own Web page and blog to help others grow as students.

Her Web page, “Uncovering Discovery” ( http://uncoveringdiscoveryblog.com/) includes topics such as:

Five Things I Learned as President of a School Club,
30 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting College,
How to Finish Your Semester with a Bang,
How to Introduce Yourself to Your Professor,
Getting Enough Sleep, and
Taking Advantage of Free Tutoring.

Potter was also featured in the book “Community College Success - How to Finish with Friends, Scholarships, Internships, and the Career of Your Dreams” by Isa Adney. (http://www.communitycollegesuccess.com/p/get-book.html)

Potter describes her next project as “an educational yet fun international project that doubles as a unique first generation college student DIY success story.”

This fall, she will travel to Europe with a videographer and record her journeys and experiences. She plans on producing enough material during her trip to write a book on student study and ventures abroad. “I want to showcase the unique differences of European transportation, culture, people and scenery by delivering a professionally compiled Web series of each country,” she said. “This way, people can see which country they favor most and travel there themselves for their very own ‘Uncovering Discovery’ project.”

Upon her return home, she plans to continue her education with interests in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, veterinary science and German as a language. Her ultimate collegiate destination is the University of California, Berkeley or UCLA.

Potter’s last words of advice - “Join a club, hold a position within that club that helps you gain leadership skills, become a student tutor, go to office hours, and THRIVE!” she said. “Becoming active on campus and with your peers really shapes you and can start an ongoing cycle of positivity and productivity. Once that passion forms, you build a fire within yourself that is almost impossible for anyone to take away.”

 

 

MEDIA CONTACT:
Susan Kessler
Director of Public Relations and Publications
(386) 312-4021