UGA Undergraduate Admissions / Diversity / Desiree Smith

Our Community is Stronger
with the Voices of Many

Desiree Smith

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Class year: Sophomore
Major: Sociology and Women’s Studies

List at least five words that describe the UGA community.
Laidback, friendly, fun, challenging, changing

Complete the following sentence: “If I had to offer one piece of advice for incoming students about living and learning in the UGA community, it would be":
Be pro-active; make the experience what you want it to be. There are many opportunities to get involved in a variety of activities at UGA, but you have to seek them out. By doing this, you’ll find your niche in the UGA community.

When and how do you encounter other cultures, perspectives and beliefs at UGA? What have you learned from these experiences?
I’m going to be honest. UGA is not a very diverse campus; however, my encounter with the “other” is constant. I encounter people from other cultures, perspectives, and beliefs different from my own every day, both in and outside of the classroom. As an individual with bicultural roots, Chicana and Anglo, and as someone from the Southwestern United States, I don’t meet people like myself here at UGA very often. While this can be challenging, I see it as an opportunity to learn about people from different backgrounds. Stepping outside of my comfort zone has led me to grow intellectually, personally, and has both shaped and reaffirmed what I believe in. A quote from Frederick Douglass comes to mind: “Without a struggle, there can be no progress.” Likewise, I see being at UGA as an opportunity to help bring about much needed change at the state’s flagship university.