Students Archives - �۶�ֱ�� University

Led by Faith, Lifted by Community

�۶�ֱ�� University — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 19:51:04 +0000

Tucker Scholar Kylee Morris Reflects on Finding Her Purpose at �۶�ֱ��

By Jackie Bridges

When senior Kylee Morris shares her journey to �۶�ֱ�� University, her faith in God is evident. With her confident demeanor, engaging smile and intuitive responses, Morris won the favor of judges and became the third recipient of �۶�ֱ��’s highest honor for incoming undergraduate students, the Tucker Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength Scholarship.

Like the verses from Mark’s gospel, which are the basis of the scholarship, Morris “loves the Lord her God with all her heart, soul, mind and strength; and loves her neighbor as herself.”

She believes God led her to find �۶�ֱ�� through an internet search, and He blessed her with the Tucker Scholarship. “Your life can change in such a good way in a split second,” Morris stated. “I was so overwhelmed with the fact that I was able to pursue my dreams and further my education without having this worry of financial burden. God opened the door.”

Arriving on campus, Morris was excited to explore the academic and extracurricular opportunities. An athlete and a musician in high school, she decided to participate in music ensembles and joined the percussion section of the revived �۶�ֱ�� Marching Bulldogs, led by Dr. Sarah Fabian. “The band really has given me a family that I know I’m going to carry with me for such a long time, even after I leave,” Morris affirmed.

Morris’ schedule is full as a biology major, biomedical sciences concentration, with minors in chemistry and psychology. In addition, she is a teacher assistant in the chemistry lab. “It doesn’t really feel like work to me; it feels like play,” Morris related. “I love doing what I do.”

Morris chose biology to prepare for the medical field and possibly become a surgeon. Then, during her sophomore year, she started wondering about other options in the medical field. Feeling like God planted the seed; she researched and found cytology.

The field immediately appealed to Morris, because her classes in microbiology and organic chemistry had sparked her interest in the laboratory setting. Shortly after reading about cytology, Morris was introduced to alumna Celsea Reeder, who visited the science department to share about her studies in cytotechnology, the microscopic study of cells. “It felt like a confirmation,” said Morris.

Besides juggling band and academic commitments, Morris also has a small business, “Kylee Creates.” She makes crafts out of rubber bands. A hobby she started in elementary school, she picked it up again after she joined the Art Club at GWU. The craft has been a creative outlet for her.

Morris branched out in other ways this past year, experiencing a hundred-foot bungee free fall, whitewater rafting, and entering and winning the Miss GWU pageant. When she won, Morris vaguely remembers being crowned and walking across the stage. “The only voice I heard was my mom,” she reflected. “I look out and see my mom and my grandparents, and they’re all crying.”

The people who lead the pageant are some of her biggest supporters on campus, especially Jessika Raduly, associate director in the Office of Student Engagement. “Jess is a mom at heart, and the students here are her kids,” Morris described. “She does anything she can to make sure they are well looked after, and they are loved. She’s someone who can always bring light even if you’re in the middle of something dark, and she always lets you know, ‘I’m praying for you.’”

Raduly fits Morris’ definition of a leader—someone who uses their resources and their influence to help people reach a common goal. “Leadership isn’t about stepping on anyone’s toes or stepping over someone else; it’s pulling people up with you,” she noted.

Morris is thankful for all the people who contribute to the campus atmosphere of belonging. “Everyone here who is on a walk with Christ, no matter where they’re at, they’re given a space to be on that walk,” she said. “I’m just so thankful for all of the things I’ve been able to experience. God has really shown me over this last year that He is working … He is moving and He is making His presence known. This campus is truly so wonderful, because they follow that mission: for God and for humanity, and it truly is something so special.”

About the Tucker Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength Scholarship

The award includes full-tuition, room and board for eight semesters. Carolyn and Robert Tucker created the scholarship in 2019 to annually recognize a high school senior who exemplifies the principles and values representative of the �۶�ֱ�� community. Longtime benefactors of �۶�ֱ��, the Tuckers gave $5.5 million to help build the Tucker Student Center. The qualifications are based on the Tucker family’s life verse, Mark 12:30-31. In this passage, Jesus gives the two most important commandments: “Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.”

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Inaugural Tucker Scholar Leah Carpenter Wants to Change Lives

�۶�ֱ�� University — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 20:42:00 +0000

Inaugural Tucker Scholar Leah Carpenter Strives to Follow Life Altering Example in Nursing

Leah Carpenter’s smile is so genuine, people are compelled to return in kind and offer a greeting. “Her light and love radiate,” affirmed her youth pastor, Taylor Campbell, when he nominated her for the Tucker Scholarship.

At the scholarship presentation in 2020, members of the selection committee described her as a “ray of sunshine”—one of the many reasons why she was named �۶�ֱ�� University’s first Tucker Scholar. Established by dedicated supporters, Carolyn and Robert Tucker, the Tucker Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength Scholarship is awarded to a student with exceptional academic achievement. Equally important, the individual also exemplifies the commands of Jesus found in Mark 12:29-31—“Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.”

The formal scholarship presentation was made by the Tuckers’ daughter, Lisa, a 1989 alumna. “I was so impressed with you from the moment we met,” she told Carpenter. “Everything you stand for; it beams from you immediately.”

Carpenter applied for the eight-semester full-tuition, room and board scholarship but never thought she would win. “I remember clear as day when I got the call,” she related. “It was during school and I’m crying and sobbing and calling my mom and we were jumping for joy. I never thought I was going to get it, but I’m humbled that I did.”

She continued, “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to be here in the first place. The Tucker family has been caring and generous to me. They taught me to be generous to other people, to lead by example and show the love of God anywhere you go.”

Carpenter said the weight of being the first person to represent the Tucker name can be overwhelming, but she finds encouragement in that foundational scripture. “I remember when I got the award, and Carolyn Tucker gave me this plaque,” she reflected. “It had Mark 12:29-31 on there. She said the last thing is the most important part—to love your neighbor as yourself—and so I’ve really tried to instill that in my life at �۶�ֱ��. I think the best way to represent the Tucker family is to be love and show the love on campus.”

One of the ways Carpenter shines on campus is by helping to lead a Bible study through the Delight Women’s Ministry. She also attends the student-led worship service, The Gathering. She’s a member of Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), and Student Nurses Association (SNA). During the summer, she’s involved in Carolina Cross Connection, a ministry that uses volunteers to provide home repairs for people in need. She also helps with the homeless ministry at her church.

With her attitude and personality, it’s easy to see why Carpenter chose nursing as her major. “I wanted to be at the bedside every single day and make sure people were advocated for, and I could serve people well,” she explained. “You truly get that one-on-one time with your patients when you are a nurse.”

Now a GWU senior, Carpenter started clinical rotations when she was a sophomore. She’s observed intensive care and worked in obstetrics, medical-surgical, operating room, and behavioral health. One of her clinical instructors, adjunct Dominique Belgrave, applauded her development. “Both nurses and patients she encountered complimented Leah on her teamwork, broad knowledge, impressive implementation and interpersonal skills,” Belgrave asserted. “Throughout the semester her confidence grew, and she learned how to use her clinical judgment when caring for her patients.”

After years of pursuing the goal of being a nurse, Carpenter described the first time she cared for patients as surreal. Filled with excitement, she also experienced wonder, doubt and joy. Getting over those initial fears requires a proper balance of caution and confidence.

One of my instructors told me that, ‘A scared nurse is a good nurse, because you should never be overconfident where you cannot ask for help,’” she shared. “You remind yourself that you’re not alone. There’s someone to guide you.
Leah Carpenter

Carpenter concluded, “I’m excited but also have to remind myself of the responsibility I now have when it comes to caring for someone else. I love that I am learning so much in the hospital and going to clinicals has shown me just how tiring but rewarding nursing can be.”

Leah Carpenter’s Top Five Reasons to Love �۶�ֱ��:

The people. You feel at home, and welcomed.
Faith-based campus. Professors take the time to pray before a test and when asked, share godly counsel.
The sunsets. Nowhere else in the world has sunsets like this.
The student-athletes. I’m a big sports fan, and I love the fact that you can get to know the people on campus who play sports.
The smaller campus. Everybody says this, but it’s the truth. Being in a class with 10 students means you get to know them and your professor.

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Connections and Community

�۶�ֱ�� University — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 06:15:00 +0000

Michelle Lominac, ’23, Values the Peers and Faculty Contributing to her Educational Journey

Ask senior Michelle Lominac, of Concord, N.C., to name the most important lesson she’s learned at �۶�ֱ�� University, and her answer reveals her approachable personality, character and priorities.

“My biggest takeaway—make connections,” Lominac affirms. “Making connections with peers maximizes the experience as a whole. Making connections with faculty is key to finding a mentor, seeking help, and asking for advice. Making these connections has been the best thing for me to get the most out of my education, so it’s certainly something I’ll carry with me.”

A political science major in the University Honors Program, Lominac participated in the 2022 GWU Summer Undergraduate Research Program and gained experience for graduate school. She is minoring in business administration and criminal justice administration. Her plans are to pursue a Master of Public Administration and then, a career as a city or county manager.

The topic of her five-week summer research was exploring how the First Amendment protection of free speech applies to social media platforms. “In researching full-time, I found so much information that I learned how to use scholarly judgment to wade through the many articles and theories and find those most substantial, significant, and valuable to me,” she expounded. “I learned how to reshape my view throughout the process—how to step back and imagine my project from an unbiased perspective in order to decide my next steps.”

In her study, Lominac discovered the tension that exists between First Amendment protections of the freedom of speech and the editorial and liability rights of private entities, such as social media corporations. “There has been a lot of speculation about the legislative and judicial future of the topic, so it has been great to explore the variety of potential solutions,” Lominac offered. “However, there is no applicable jurisprudence, and the laws that exist concerning the internet are outdated.”

Her faculty mentor was Dr. Elizabeth Amato, associate professor of political science and international relations. Lominac appreciated Amato’s guidance hen the information she discovered didn’t match her plans for the project. “She assured me and helped me figure out a new direction to take my research,” Lominac related. “She let me know that sometimes scholarship is not as simple as we would like or expect, but we can roll with the punches and allow the work to enhance our ideas.”

Lominac advises students who want to apply for the Summer Undergraduate Research Program to choose a topic they want to spend hours researching. “I grew up in politics,” she shared, “I’ve grown to love political science for all its facets—politics, theory, government. I chose a business administration minor, because I felt it would be versatile for whatever my future plans would be. I also chose a criminal justice administration minor, because I was interested to learn more about the system from an administrative perspective.”

Lominac serves as secretary for the Alpha Chi honor society and was part of a collaborative research group that won an award and monetary prize at the national Alpha Chi convention. She is also hospitality coordinator for The Gathering, the weekly student-led worship service.

“�۶�ֱ�� is home,” she asserted. “I’m supported and encouraged in my academic and nonacademic pursuits. I’m comfortable yet challenged daily. Most importantly, I’ve found an irreplaceable community at �۶�ֱ��.”

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Student First

�۶�ֱ�� University — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 16:51:06 +0000

Nursing Major Khalilah Conway, ’22, Finds Success in Classroom and on the Track

�۶�ֱ�� University student-athlete Khalilah Conway, ’22, of Raleigh, N.C., has two demanding interests.

A sprinter and multi-event competitor on the track and field team, she’s also a student in the Hunt School of Nursing. Her hard work and dedication was recognized in 2021 when she was named to the Big South Track & Field All-Academic Team.

While earning a high GPA in the nursing program, Conway’s season was highlighted by personal records on the track and two first place finishes from the Winthrop Spring Invitational, first place in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:05.29, and first place in the women’s high jump by hitting a mark of 1.57 meters.

“I’m a student-athlete and student comes first,” Conway asserted. “This past year was my junior year and that’s the hardest year in the nursing program. When we started, my coach was like, ‘This is your junior year, so you have to tell me when sometimes things are too much and you need a break.’”

After practice and weight training, she would study for several hours. “It takes so much time to know the information that you can’t just do it the night before,” she advised. “There’s so much on the line when learning in this career field. You can’t just mess up, because that’s someone’s life.”

Like her approach to studying, Conway was methodical when deciding on a career. She knew she wanted to help people by going into health care and contemplated becoming a pediatrician. However, as she thought about the responsibilities of doctors and nurses, she felt nursing suited her best.

“I care about helping people,” she explained. “Nurses have a much more personable dedication to the patient. You see them so much more often. You are their backbone while they are there (under your care). I knew that I would probably make a bigger impact if I was a nurse.”

Her high school track coach found �۶�ֱ�� because she told him she wanted to run track at a college with a top-notch nursing program, and decided GWU met all of her expectations. “It had Christian values; I can run and I can still build my career,” she stated. “It really was the perfect place.”

When COVID-19 forced a switch to online learning, students couldn’t train in the physical hospital setting. “I was doing my skill check offs on Minnie Mouses and wash cloths and anything that I could find,” she recalled. Eventually, the nursing students returned to the hospital setting with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and new protocols. “It’s like COVID opened your eyes,” she commented. “Almost like (PPE) was a safe haven, because as long as you were keeping yourself protected, you were keeping other people protected.”

She feels prepared and confident to begin her career. “My teachers care about us,” she commended. “There are those who will put a smile on our faces, pray for us and encourage us to keep on going. I feel like that has also been a big part of me making it.”

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�۶�ֱ�� Students Stand Together as One

Office of University Communications — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 10:20:44 +0000

More than 300 Gather to Begin Tough Conversations About Racial Injustice and Inequality

Holding signs that read “Black Lives Matter,” “My life matters,” “Act justly, Love mercy, Walk humbly (Micah 6),” and “We stand with you,” a diverse group of students, faculty and staff marched peacefully down Main Street and through campus. Coordinated by Darien Reynolds, Donnie Thompson and other members of the football team, the group’s message was “Together as One.”

The march ended at the O. Max Gardner Music Building, where more than 300 gathered to hear speeches from students, a NAACP representative from Charlotte, N.C., and GWU officials.

Reynolds and Thompson talked to their coaches about having the march and then spread the word on social media. Reynolds graduated in December with a criminal justice degree and minor in homeland security. Thompson graduates in the spring with a sports education degree and minor in communication.

“There’s not a lot of African American students on campus, and I wanted everyone to be educated on what we go through and our lifestyles on a daily basis and make them understand what’s going on in America,” Reynolds said.

Thompson added, “I was pleased with the turnout, but still very hungry to have a bigger crowd next time we put an event together. Racism is real, and it’s everywhere. I want all students to have those hard conversations with their friends and family about ending racism. I want to encourage all the white students to use their voice, because in my opinion, they have the biggest one to help fight this battle and break the chain of hate. We are the strongest when we come together as one.”

�۶�ֱ�� Head Football Coach Tre Lamb told the crowd that the football team had been discussing racial injustice for a long time. “But, the fact of the matter is, we have been talking about it for 200 years,” Lamb observed. “In my opinion, our generation can be the one to stop it. I’ve got a (young) daughter, and I don’t want her to see this when she gets older. It breaks my heart. Our generation can end it, period. I think we need to encourage each other to have intelligent, difficult conversations. Be around people you’re uncomfortable being around and have real conversations. Get to the depth of what they believe and why they believe it. Have some humility.”

JeNai Davis, GWU director of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives, also emphasized the need to have real communication and to participate in local, state and national elections. “This is a huge movement right now, what you guys are doing,” Davis shared. “You are leaving your mark. You are making the change and that is important. Don’t let the conversations end here. Don’t get out here and march, post your pictures on social media and then go on with your lives tomorrow. If it stops here, the violence still continues as it has for all these years. I want to thank these guys who put this together, because they have friends at other universities who are doing the same thing.”

�۶�ֱ�� President Dr. William Downs thanked the students for organizing the event. “You know, we talk a lot at �۶�ֱ�� about ‘community,’” Downs said. “We talk a lot at �۶�ֱ�� about ‘family.’ This crowd here today is family. This is a big, diverse, amazing family. Of all the groups that exist in society, family is the strongest. Family has the strongest of bonds. Students, faculty, staff … we have to stay glued together. These are uncertain but historic times, and we have to stay together.”

He pledged the University’s commitment and support to every student. “If you want to march together and call on those around us to help make a better world, then we will walk that journey with you,” he affirmed. “We will walk together as one. We will not repay hatred with hatred, but we will make a powerful statement about justice, a powerful statement about respect, a powerful statement about peace, and a powerful statement about unity. �۶�ֱ�� will stand with you.”

Downs ended his comments with a quote from the late John Lewis, the civil rights leader and congressman from Georgia. “You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone — any person or any force — dampen, dim or diminish your light … Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won.”

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Perseverance and Persistence

Office of University Communications — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 17:20:00 +0000

Amy Uriostegui, Offering Opportunities for Those Who Struggle

Born in Henderson County, N.C., to Mexican immigrants, Amy Uriostegui decided early in her life that no one was going to define her.

The �۶�ֱ�� University student didn’t give in to people who dismissed her as slow-witted or those who said she would never be able to go to college.

“I feel like when people stop believing in themselves, that’s when they make bad decisions,” Uriostegui explained. “I had a traumatic event in my life, and it could have impacted me really badly, but I knew I wanted something different.”

As a little girl, Uriostegui was labeled with learning disabilities. The turning point came when she had to repeat a grade. “Something clicked in my head,” Uriostegui reflected. “I looked at myself and said, ‘What are you doing?’ A relative had called me dumb. I felt like when I repeated that grade, I was giving him a little bit of control. I said, ‘He is not going to tell me what I am. I am going to do it.’ From that moment on, I made As and Bs (on my report cards).”

Uriostegui’s mother didn’t finish school, so when her parents separated, her mom couldn’t help her four children with their homework. A few dedicated teachers refused to give up on Uriostegui, and neighbors took her to church and introduced her to the Christian faith as a young child.

By the time Uriostegui reached the fifth grade, school personnel trusted her enough to ask her to translate for migrant families during parent meetings. “I understand the struggle of the child and the struggle of the mom,” Uriostegui affirmed. “I’ve seen my mom cry, because she is not able to help her children. I don’t want somebody to be in my mom’s shoes. I give my number to people and they call me for help.”

Not only does she help the parents, but Uriostegui tutors migrant children, assisting
with homework and reading with them. Her volunteer service also includes raising money for a hunger walk, working for the Salvation Army and babysitting for foster parents. When she graduated from high school, she received an award for logging more than 800 hours of volunteer service.

She was awarded a scholarship from �۶�ֱ��, which made it possible for her to attend. She liked the University because of its size and Christian foundation. “�۶�ֱ�� is a place where you can be who you are and get a one-on-one connection with faculty and not feel like you are a number in the system,” Uriostegui asserted. “It’s somewhere you can fit in.”

Her major is international business and her minor is computer science. All of the professors in the Godbold School of Business have impacted her in some way and helped her understand difficult concepts.

Uriostegui goes home to Hendersonville, N.C., on the weekends to volunteer and work. In addition, she is a member of the GWU Enactus Club, a social entrepreneurship club that participates in Operation Christmas Child, which provides shoebox gifts to children around the world. For her Integrations of Business and Faith course, Uriostegui carried out a service-learning project that included volunteering at a women’s shelter. She tutored and read to the children, and arranged for the Key Club of Hendersonville to have clothing donations delivered to the shelter. At the end of the spring 2019 semester, Uriostegui won the Caudill Service-Learning Award for the shelter project and all of her volunteer service.

Her �۶�ֱ�� classes and the volunteer opportunities have prepared her
to reach her goal of starting an international non-profit foundation. “I want to provide
a place where homeless mothers and their children can live,” she said. “I have learned from each volunteer opportunity I have had.

I learn from the people I volunteer with and the people I help. They show me how to be patient and to never give up.”

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