Name: Megan Guerra
Hometown: Brandon, Florida
Major: Food & Nutrition
Year: Senior
Relationship Status: In a relationship
Photo By: Annie Grafe
Have you ever heard the phrase “Garnet and Gold Scholar,” but didn’t have any idea what that meant or how to be one? I sat down with Resident Assistant and future Dentist Megan Guerra to find out.
Her Campus (HC): What exactly is a Garnet and Gold Scholar?
Megan Guerra (MG): A Garnet and Gold Scholar is a student who is well-rounded in three different areas, and you get to pick from five engagement areas. Then you fulfill requirements for them. The whole point is to make sure you’re not just a student, you’re also getting involved with your community, or different leadership roles and things like that.
HC: And what were your engagement areas?
MG: Mine were Community Service, Leadership and Internship.
HC: What did you end up having to do for each of these?
MG: For service you have to complete 200 community service hours throughout your four years here. I fulfilled the leadership requirement through being a Resident Assistant (RA) and from going to Leadershape last summer, which is like a leadership conference. Then for internship, I interned at a dental office back home.
HC: How did you choose to gain those 200 community service hours?
MG: I’ve done a lot of different things for community service, but the thing that I’m most passionate about is the Damayan Garden Project. It’s an organization that goes to middle schools and elementary schools and starts gardens there! It kind of has two purposes: it teaches the kids about gardening and living sustainably, but also the produce that we grow is donated to communities in need. It’s pretty cool.
HC: How did you find out about this project?
MG: I volunteered through this center called Community Outreach my sophomore and junior year for various projects, but then I decided that I wanted more of a leadership role with it, so I applied to be a facilitator. So now I get to drive one of those big vans full of people!
HC: What made you want to intern at a dental office?
MG: Well, my career goal is to be a dentist. So I wanted to intern there to get more experience in the field.
*Suddenly, Megan stops to listen to some kind of buzzing alarm sound going off in the distance*
MG: Do you hear that noise? Sounds like a fire drill. Haha, can you tell I’m an RA?
HC: Yes, I can! Always on alert! How do you like being a Resident Assistant?
MG: I love it! It’s my third year as an RA.
HC: Wow, three years as an RA? I feel like you definitely have to love it if you want to be one for three years.
MG: Yeah, it’s kind of like a lifestyle now more than a job.
HC: What would you say is your favorite part about being an RA?
MG: My favorite part is the interactions that I have with my residents. They all call me ‘Mama Megs.’
HC: That seems fitting.
MG: It’s pretty cute! My residents are so cool. I’ve also met three of my best friends through being an RA.
HC: You also said you went to something called Leadershape to fulfill your leadership requirement. Would you say that experience has helped you at all?
MG: Leadershape opened my eyes to a variety of social issues and it made me more aware of how to be a better leader and fulfill my visions for success!
If being a Garnet and Gold Scholar sounds like something you might also be interested in, click here to help you get started on the process!