Name:

Hometown: Oba-Isin, Kwara State, Nigeria

Proud Member of AASU Class of: 2012

Major: Radiological Sciences

When Helen Ajide grew up in Nigeria, her grandmother always impressed upon her the importance of getting an education.

Helen took that advice to heart and is now a senior radiological sciences major at Armstrong.

This hard-working international student recently received financial support from the Armstrong Commitment Fund Aid –which is funded by Armstrong faculty and staff as well as outside donors–to complete her education when her financial aid ran out. The fund, which is designed to help students with a demonstrated financial need, made it possible for this dedicated student to finish her final semester at Armstrong.

“I’m so grateful for this support,” she said. “It has made all the difference, enabling me to complete my degree at Armstrong.”

In addition to taking classes, Helen gets hands-on clinical experience at Memorial Health University Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital, Candler Hospital and South Coast Imaging Center. She enjoys the opportunity to conduct X-rays, CAT scans, barium fluoroscopy studies and C-Arm studies.

“My clinical experience has been amazing,” she said. “I love working with patients and I love the operating room. The whole experience has been really eye-opening.”

Helen is a representative with the International Students Organization, former assistant chair for Armstrong’s Campus Union Board, a member of the Lambda Nu honor society for radiological science and a member of the African Caribbean Student Organization. She received a scholarship from the Georgia Radiological Society and works part-time for the university’s IT Services office. In her spare time, she volunteers with the St. Mary’s Community Center, United Way, Hands On Savannah and the Rape Crisis Center. She also enjoys salsa dancing, kickboxing, Zumba and running.

Helen’s fascination with radiology grew out of her growing interest in serving others and in using technology to help diagnose medical problems.

“Radiology is like an inner eye to see inside people’s bodies,” she said. “I love the O.R. and I love surgery. I’ve seen the way it can transform lives. I’m passionate about helping others. Armstrong is definitely helping me achieve my goals.”

Name:

Hometown: Valdosta, Georgia

Proud Member of Armstrong Class of: 2014

Major: Health Sciences

Armstrong is helping Bernotta Gipson become a true leader.

Although she was active in student organizations in high school, this health sciences major has immersed herself in extracurricular activities at Armstrong, enriching her undergraduate experience and honing her leadership skills. Over the years, she has served as a senator for the Student Government Association, SGA Chairman of the Rules Committee, student coordinator for the office of Financial Aid’s Peer Financial Counseling Program, a tour guide for the university’s Ambassador Program, a student leader with Armstrong’s Navigate new student orientation and a graduate of the Emerging Leaders Program.

“Armstrong has helped me grow as a person and have a positive impact in the lives of other students,” she explained. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to help them become leaders.”

Bernotta successfully balances academics with student organization involvement. She has a warm smile and, as an Ambassador Program representative, greets prospective students with a friendly, open attitude.

“I like meeting new people and getting involved,” she said. “I especially enjoy being part of the Student Government Association, which provides a voice for students on campus.”

The Armstrong Commitment Fund scholarship is making it possible for Bernotta to complete her B.S. in Health Sciences, with a minor in Spanish. “It helped me pay the rest of my tuition,” she explained. “If I had not received that scholarship, I’m not sure I would have attended Armstrong this year.”

After graduation, Bernotta hopes to study abroad and develop her Spanish language skills. She would eventually like to return to school to earn a degree in nursing and to work at an area hospital.

“I love people,” she says, “and I want to do anything I can to help others.”

Name:

Hometown: Rome, Georgia

Proud Member of Armstrong Class of: 2014

Major: Rehabilitation Science

Student-athlete Mauri Wells, a star forward on Armstrong’s basketball team and first team all-conference pre-season player, has basketball in her blood.

Mauri’s mother played college basketball at Mississippi State University and passed a love of the sport on to her daughter. “I’ve been playing basketball as long as I can remember,” Mauri explained.

She considers time management to be the key to balancing the demands of a busy sports schedule and a heavy course load geared towards earning a B.S. in Rehabilitation Science. “Time management is critical,” she said. “I have to make time to study and to get ready for practice and games. I try to do all my school work before practices and games, and I do more studying afterwards if I need to.”

Mauri first became interested in physical therapy as a freshman and sophomore in high school, when she tore her ACL on two separate occasions. “I went through physical therapy and learned a lot,” she recalled. “I figured I should build on what I already know.”

After graduating from Armstrong, she hopes to attend a physical therapy program and, ultimately, to pursue a career as a physical therapist who specializes in working with athletes. In the meantime, she’s enjoying taking classes in abnormal psychology and topics in public health as well as perfecting her basketball skills.

“I love the excitement of the games, and I love winning,” she said. “Basketball is a competitive sport — and I’m very competitive.”

Mauri has especially enjoyed the opportunity to connect with other student-athletes at Armstrong. She has friends who play soccer and volleyball and share her passion for sports. “The athletes are close on campus,” she explained. “We all go to each other’s games and support each other’s teams.”

This focused student-athlete considers Armstrong to be the ideal place to develop her academic and athletic skills. “I’ve really enjoyed my time at Armstrong,” she said. “Armstrong was a great choice for me.”

Name:

Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Proud Member of Armstrong Class of: 2014

Major: Information Technology

Why I Chose Armstrong: “Armstrong has a small town campus feel with ambitious goals. At Armstrong, everything is developed to benefit students.”

Favorite Pirate Experience: Being a student worker in the offices of the university’s President and Vice President for Business and Finance.

Why I Love Armstrong: “Everyone’s willing to help you. You’re not just lost in the crowd.”

Best Advice: “Take advantage of all the resources Armstrong offers you. Everyone at Armstrong wants you to succeed.”

Rhett Ball was riding high, by any measure, at the peak of the real estate boom.

An accomplished architectural designer and drafter, Rhett owned his own company, designing thousands of custom homes, light commercial buildings, offices and churches throughout southeast Georgia over the course of 12 years. However, when the real estate market crashed, so did his business.

Rhett decided to build on his Associate Degree in Computer Science from ITT by going back to school and earning a B.S. in Information Technology at Armstrong. “Information Technology is a pretty stable field,” he says. “I’ll have a job forever.”

Today, he’s a 40-year-old returning student who hopes to specialize in cybersecurity and forensics. This former U.S. Marine enjoys studying JAVA with information technology professor Ashraf Saad and learning more about the fast-growing cybersecurity field.

“Cybersecurity is so new nobody’s fully explored it yet,” he explains. “There are plenty of new opportunities and new horizons. If you’re good enough and enjoy the challenge, you can do whatever you want.”

After graduating, Rhett hopes to work for the GBI and, eventually, for a company in the private sector. In the meantime, he’s grateful to receive an Armstrong Commitment Fund scholarship, which provides critical funding to help him complete his degree.

“I still have to work,” he explains, “but I can use more of my time to study, which is obviously really important. I can focus more on my school work, thanks to the Armstrong Commitment Fund.”

Above all, Rhett appreciates the opportunity to return to college to chart a new path for success. “Returning to school is a massive change for me,” he admits. “It’s a very humbling experience. Armstrong is helping me get on the right path and getting me ready for a new career.”

Name:

Hometown: Long Beach, California

Proud Member of Armstrong Class of: 2012

Degree: B.S. in Early Childhood Education

Why I Chose Armstrong: “Armstrong had a really good education program. I knew I wanted to become a teacher.”

Favorite Pirate Experience: Hands-on teaching internships at East Broad Street School and Jacob G. Smith Elementary School in Savannah.

Why I Love Armstrong: “I really liked the professors. They helped me get everything I needed to know to become a great teacher.”

Best Advice: “Do your best, stay focused and get involved in all the activities on campus.”

From F-18s to the Classroom

At the age of 17, Julia Ferrerra joined the U.S. Navy, where she worked as an aviation machinist servicing F-18 jet engines. After serving her country for four years, she decided to go back to school to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher.

This proud veteran enrolled in the education program at Armstrong, where she honed her skills as a reading specialist and was an active volunteer with the Kappa Delta Phi honor society for educators, donating blankets and supporting the Ronald McDonald House.

“I always wanted to teach,” she says. “The education program at Armstrong really equipped me to succeed in the classroom.”

After arriving on campus, Julia quickly formed strong bonds with her fellow students and with her professors, all of whom welcomed her with open arms. “Armstrong helped me make the transition from military life to civilian life,” she explains. “Everyone was so nice. From the minute I started at Armstrong, I felt very much at home.”

Two weeks before graduation, Julia had a full-time job lined up as an elementary school teacher at East Broad Elementary Street School. Today, she teaches reading skills to small groups of students in grades two through six who need extra help.

“I really care about children,” she says. “I wanted to help out and raise the reading level for kids who were struggling. It’s important to have intervention early on.”

Julia believes reading is a critical life skill. “If you’re not literate, you’re not going to able to be successful in life,” she emphasizes. “Reading is paramount.”

This hard-working teacher credits Armstrong with helping her achieve her dream and is particularly thankful for professors who offered constructive feedback on her student teaching.

“My professors gave me such great feedback that enabled me to improve my teaching skills throughout my experience,” she says. “I’m so grateful Armstrong was a great choice.”

Name:

Hometown: Kirtland, Ohio

Proud Member of Armstrong Class of: 2012

Degree: M.A. in American History

Previous Education: B.A. in European History, Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio. Class of 1996.

Why I Chose Armstrong: “I felt Armstrong offered me the best educational opportunity in the area. They offered the degree and the courses I wanted to pursue.”

Favorite Pirate Experience: Giving a solo July 4^th rifled musket demonstration for over 200 people as a park ranger at Fort Pulaski National Monument.

Why I Love Armstrong: “The History faculty and staff are all fantastic. They give so much one-on-one personal attention to students. It’s much more difficult to even approach professors at larger schools, but here they will sit down with you and help you map out your research plan for the best results.”

Best Advice: “Make the most of the resources you have available at Armstrong. Work with your instructors, who are willing to give you all the advice you need.”

Armstrong helped former Army Sergeant Eric W. Norton build upon his previous education and experience and start a new life.

A member of the one of the Army’s elite Air Defense Artillery Patriot Missile Units, Eric served in the military for nearly six years. In 2010, upon being honorably discharged, he went back to school to pursue a master’s degree in American history with a focus on Savannah. His graduating seminar paper examined the re-activation of Hunter Field as a Strategic Air Command Base in 1949 and the influence of Air Force racial integration on Savannah’s civil rights movement.

“After going through a highly intensive process,” he says, “going back to school seemed like a great way to decompress from the high-octane life of the military and to re-acclimate to civilian life.”

Eric enrolled in graduate school at Armstrong, where he immediately enjoyed support from the university’s faculty and staff. “When you get that interaction and direct contact with professors,” he explains, “it helps you pursue your own goals and overcome challenges.”

His professors recommended him for a special park ranger program at Fort Pulaski National Monument near Savannah. When Eric wasn’t in class at Armstrong, he was often serving as a historical interpreter, conducting rifled musket demonstrations, firing the Civil War-era cannon, and leading tours and specialized historical educational programs at Fort Pulaski.

“This is the most fun job I’ve ever had in my life,” he laughs. “It’s been a great balance between my former military experience, my education, and my love of interacting with the public. I’m grateful Armstrong presented this opportunity to me.”

Eric plans to apply for a permanent job within the U.S. National Park Service. With the loving support of his wife, Aimee, he’s willing to relocate anywhere in the country to pursue his dream job.

This third-generation U.S. Army veteran believes history serves as the key to understanding the past, the present, and the future. “History is essential,” he says. “Knowing where we’ve been is important to know where we’re going as an individual, as a city and as a country.”

Class of: 2013

Major: Early Childhood Education

Why I Chose Armstrong: Cindy received a scholarship from The Goizueta Foundation, which assists organizations that empower individuals and families through enriching educational opportunities.

Passion for Teaching

Cindy Piedra has a passion for life and she carries it with her into the classroom. For the past two semesters, she has been interning at Windsor Forest Elementary School in a 3rd grade classroom. What makes her internship different from most is that she has been able to stay with the same class as opposed to being moved to a new classroom with different students.

“Having both my Internship I and Internship II in the same class has been so beneficial,” says Cindy. “I’m about to know my students, make a connection with them, and they respect me.”

Her love for teaching and being in the classroom is evident when she talks about her experiences with students. One of her favorite aspects of being a teacher is building relationships with her students.

“I listen to their problems, and we can joke around,” she says. “It’s because they trust me and I’ve been able to create a nurturing and friendly atmosphere in the classroom.”

She challenges her students by encouraging them to respectfully challenge her. “One day, I intentionally and incorrectly wrote a math problem on the board just to see who would correct me,” confesses Cindy. “My professors at Armstrong challenged me, and that is what pushed me to teach the way I teach.”

Armstrong’s academic environment and College of Education faculty successfully prepared Cindy to work in an actual classroom. The small classroom setting and personal relationships with professors and their obvious interest in her success helped her move forward in her teaching career.

After graduation, Cindy hopes to move back to her hometown and teach. Her dreams don’t end there, though. She also revealed that she might decide to teach high school one day. “Young teens in high school are dropping out,” she says. “They need just as much guidance as children in elementary schools.”

One of the most memorable quotes from Cindy came when she was reflecting on how she treats her students. “I hear other teachers screaming at their students, but I don’t believe in screaming,” she says. “I don’t want to make my students feel like any less of a person or not worthy of respect. We’re a family, and I will treat them with respect like I would with my own family members.”

Written by Lauren Geiger, Marketing and Communications intern Spring 2013.

Name:

Hometown: Savannah, Ga.

Class of: 2013

Major: Rehabilitation Sciences

Favorite Armstrong Experience: I really enjoyed playing Ultimate Frisbee for the university and we played schools like Princeton and Notre Dame. I was on the first team that Armstrong ever had and it was an amazing experience.

Changing Lives for the Better

Remy Wilkins, a senior majoring in Rehabilitation Sciences, had his first encounter with Armstrong during high school through joint enrollment. Now, he is an active student in the College of Health Professions.

Among his many achievements, he currently serves as Rho-Tau’s (Pre-Physical Therapy Organization) president. “Being a member of Rho-Tau is such an awesome experience,” says Remy. “Each month, we have a guest speaker come and speak to us. It’s a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the field, get advice, and communicate with professionals.”

Besides being president of Rho-Tau, Remy is ahead of the game and has a job as a physical therapy assistant. At his job, he aids patients with their exercises and helps them regain their strength. “If it wasn’t for Rho-Tau, I wouldn’t have known about the job,” Remy reveals. “I love my job; I get to hang out with patients and help them get stronger.”

Another one of his accomplishments is his involvement with the Savannah Chapter of American Business Clubs (AMBUCS). AMBUCS raises money annually for an AmTryke tricycle that is donated to a physically disabled child in need.

In addition to helping physically disabled children, he also helps organize a bowling league for people with Down’s syndrome. He says,” It’s an opportunity to provide joy in someone else’s life, and I’m lucky to be a part of that.”

Remy’s experience with the physical therapy department has changed his life for the better. “It’s provided me with much better people skills. I’m more outgoing and I’m able to care for people.”

Remy graduates in May 2013 and looks forward to starting his Ph.D. in physical therapy at Armstrong soon after graduation.

“I’m thankful I chose Armstrong because I’ve learned things that I probably wouldn’t have learned anywhere else, he declares. “The small school atmosphere and activities have definitely helped me get to where I am today.”

Written by Lauren Geiger, Marketing and Communications 2013 intern

Hometown:

Class of: 2013

Major: Health and Physical Education

Favorite Armstrong Experience: “Getting accepted into the Health and Physical Education Program.”

The Rewards of Volunteering

Lauren Conner, a senior majoring in Health and Physical Education (HPE), does whatever it takes to be an active student on and off campus.

One of her volunteer activities includes filming all of the home games for the Lady Pirates basketball team. “It’s fun, but it’s hard because you have to be quiet for the entire game,” she says.

In coordination with the HPE Department, Lauren also planned and hosted Richmond Hill Day, which was an event to promote activeness among children. Over 300 third graders attended. “It was a learning experience,” she laughs. “It was stressful but I’m so glad I did it.”

This past October, she and her peers held a fundraiser during Celebrate Armstrong. The money they raised was given to students in the program to help them attend the Georgia Association of Health Physical Recreation and Dance (GAHPERD) Convention in Savannah.

“Lauren is an outstanding student and is more involved than any other HPE student in the department,” says Michael Sergi, instructor of adolescent and adult education. “She is an excellent example for her fellow students because of her level of maturity and enthusiasm for Armstrong and the HPE department.”

Her choice to major in Health and Physical education relates to her love for sports. Lauren had been an athlete until she sustained an injury to her knee when she was young. “I didn’t let the injury stop me. Since I couldn’t play sports anymore, I decided I wanted to be a coach,” she reveals. “I volunteer coach softball and basketball for rec leagues in my free time.”

When she was young, she had expressed interest in helping people. “At first I wanted to be a doctor but after an internship at a hospital, I quickly changed my mind and decided I would rather be a P.E. teacher.”

Her passion stems from a dynamic community within the Health and Physical Education program. “I couldn’t ask for better professors,” she says. “They’re all great and I feel so comfortable asking them for help if I ever need it.”

She also thinks of her peers as a second family. “We watch out for each other. Everyone is so supportive and encouraging.”

Written by Lauren Geiger, Armstrong marketing and communications intern Spring 2013