Life can have a funny way of working itself out, and few people know this better than Megan Buckingham, a junior at the University of Georgia.
Megan has been shaped through the many places she’s lived throughout her life including London, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia. The people that she’s met and experiences that she’s had in each of these places has molded her into the person she is today.
Photo courtesy of Megan Buckingham.
Megan is an extraordinary individual that leaves a smile on the face of everyone that she meets. Her bubbly personality and ability to pour into others has set her up to excel at whatever she takes on in life.
Ever since she can remember, Megan wanted to do something in life that revolved around helping others and giving back, and for years she assumed this would be through medicine.
“I’ve always loved people, especially kids, and helping others, so I felt that being a doctor was the most direct way to do so,” she said.
When Megan first decided on attending UGA she had her heart set on becoming a biology and psychology double major on the pre-medicine track, loving UGA because she “completely fell in love with the people, the campus, and the opportunities that they had for me.”
Her life path changed drastically the summer after her freshman year of college, when she worked as a teaching assistant in a preschool classroom in Wisconsin.
“I only spent two months at this school, and was completely transformed by the hearts and minds of the kids I worked with,” Megan said “After my experience in that classroom, I knew very well that I would never find a career better suited for me than teaching, so I changed my major and haven’t looked back.”
Two of Buckingham’s closest friends talked to me about how Megan is “one of a kind” and their thoughts on her career change.
Alana Watkins, one of Megan’s close friends and roommates, talked about who Megan is as a friend and how this may help her with her love for teaching.
“Meg is the epitome of the perfect best friend,” Alana said. “She is a shoulder to cry on, a person to laugh with, and the one person you can count on to always be there for you. But above all this, she is an incredible teacher. Megan’s love for children and teaching is a passion unlike I have ever seen before. I know that everything that I have seen in her as a friend will only be highlighted as a teacher.”
Jessie Todd, another close friend of Megan’s, also talked about why she feels Megan would make a great teacher.
“Meg would be a great teacher because she is the most caring and genuine person I know,” Jessie said. “She is the type of person that gives her all in everything she does and will love and give endless amounts of support to the children that she teaches one day.”
Megan Buckingham is the perfect reminder that even though we all may think we have our lives planned out, there are thousands of ways of accomplishing the goals you have set out for yourself and you never know when life will work itself out to show you this.