Name: Jordan LewisYear: JuniorMajor: Enviornmental ScienceHometown: Orangeburg, South Carolina
Tell HC Winthrop a little bit about yourself. I am a Winthrop Student Ambassador our info sessions are coming up, student body rep for Allocations Committee, Peer Mentor, and currently conduct research in the biology department on campus. I also love lifting weights and am trying to add on to my tattoos very soon haha.
What does it mean to be a college leader? I think the best leaders are the ones who lead by example. So to be a college leader you have to conduct yourself in a way that makes others motivated to do the best they can do. Its not really about titles or popularity, its about the effort you put into your education and your university.
Would you consider yourself to be a college leader? In some ways yes and in some ways no. I think from the standpoint of involvement and effort I could be considered one. However, Winthrop is a great school with many great students and I’m honored anyone would consider me to be a leader among all the other great leaders at our school.
What leadership roles do you currently hold at WU? I am currently the head of recruitment for the Winthrop Ambassadors an a peer mentor. Both positions are near to my heart because it gives me an opportunity to share my love and knowledge of Winthrop with incoming freshman and interested students. I am also the student body representative to the Student Allocations committee in the past I served as an Admissions counselor Assistant in the Admissions department.
How long have you been a student ambassador? I was selected into the student ambassadors program the fall of 2013 and inducted the spring of 2014. This will be my third year in the program.
Of all the roles you’ve been involved in which one has shaped you into a better young man? Student Ambassadors program helped shape me the most, it was the first major organization I became involved with on campus and it taught me a lot. People skills are the most obvious thing but also being comfortable around different kinds of people and being able to communicate effectively.
What advice would you give to the freshman class especially the young college males? I would just say persevere and don’t let anyone hold you back. I think that many people listen to negativity too much. You do have to be realistic with your goals and aspirations, but to reach a realistic interpretation you have to try.
Can you tell me about your role and experience as a McNair Scholar? I conducted research through the McNair Scholars program with Dr. Matthew and Dr. Victoria Frost in the biology department. This past summer I conducted 7 weeks of research with the program in continuation of my research the previous year and was able to compete in the South Eastern McNair in Atlanta, Georgia. I ended up winning third place in Life Science it was a good trip.
How has the McNair program shaped your future? This program is helping me prepare for my future goals by connecting me with different conferences and opportunities around the U.S. It has also helped me figure out what I want to do after graduation. I have met several students who share my passion for research.
What are goals and plans of earning your degree? I plan on graduating with my double major in the spring of 2017 and then go straight into grad school at a PhD program. I want to join the club of under 30 PhDs.
Why did you choose Winthrop? I chose Winthrop because of the family atmosphere that I experience when I visited the campus. On my tour I was introduced to Dr. Harris in the chemistry department who talked with me about Winthrop science programs and the opportunities I could have if I decided to attend the school. He and others took interest in me before I came to visit the campus and it really built my confidence in Winthrop.
What are your long term goals after Winthrop? Long term I want to work for the World Health Organization or the Center for Disease Control as an environmental health researcher and advocate. Eventually, I would like to become a professor at a major research university. My dream job is to become the Secretary of the Environment to the President.
What leaders do you look up to? One of my biggest inspirations is Neal DeGrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist who host Cosmos, it was a pretty big show on Fox this year. I have looked up to him for a while because he loves sharing his love for science with the general public, especially kids and young adults. I want to do for the environment what he has been able to do for astrology and physics. I also look up to all of my professors here at Winthrop who have given advice and helped me along the way.
Favorite food? Chinese and Japanese. I could eat Chinese food every day the new place in Diggs will see a lot of me this year.
Favorite movie? I love thrillers, crime dramas, sci-fi and documentaries its hard to pick one. A few would be Shawshank Redemption, Silence of the Lambs, The Mist, Dark Skies and World War Z.
What are your hobbies? I’ve always been an avid reader and have a big book collection. I love to lift weights and try to work out 4 to 5 times a week in the West Center. I also played four years of varsity basketball in high school so you’ll catch me often in the gym during the week.
Favorite author and novel? My favorite author is Stephen King. I just started reading the Hunger games trilogy the first one was really good. My favorite novel is Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn.
Favorite sports? My favorite sports are basketball and football. I also love Mixed Martial arts and I am a big fan of UFC.
Favorite quote? “If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
What do you do when you’re not working or studying? I like working out and reading I also enjoy hanging out with my friends. Usually, conversations make my day I am a big talker.
Why are you interested in researching environmental diseases in poor countries? Environmental issues will be one of the biggest areas of need and influence in our generation in my opinion. I want to do all that I can to help those who can’t fight for themselves. I would love to do more research on developing countries usually they are the most underserved.