ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES
Below are my additional educational experiences beyond the traditional classroom environment!
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION
In August of 2023, I joined South Piedmont’s Student Government Association (SGA). For one year, my title in SGA was “Senator.” As a senator, my role was to attend bi-weekly meetings and input ideas on how to best represent students as well as work SGA lead events. Pictured to the right is one of my favorite events that I participated in— “Trunk or Treat.” Every October, the L.L Polk campus holds a Halloween event in which the community comes together to “Trunk or Treat” with different clubs and departments decorating their car trunks. For SGA’s trunk, I, along with another senator dressed up for a Monsters, Inc theme. I truly enjoyed this event as I got to connect with Anson County’s community and see their costumes and smiles.
In August of 2024, I was promoted to “President.” As President of SGA, I was tasked with representing all SPCC students, attend Board of Trustees meetings, and aid my fellow officers in their role. With two years in the student government, not only did I learn to connect with more than just my peers, but I also discovered the experiences of students of all ages. I gained the skills of communication through public speaking in board meetings and even time-management in getting plans turned in on time.
IMAGING DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEER
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In May of 2023, I started my volunteering work at Atrium Health. Wanting to discover more of the medical field, I decided to volunteer in the imaging department. As I had already learned of this department due to a family member’s job, I felt that it would be a good first step in learning more about healthcare. While the volunteer work was a brief three months, I was able to achieve 80 service hours. In my few hours per week at the hospital, I greeted patients as they came in, informed technologists of their arrival, and stocked supplies in the department. During downtime, I shadowed different technologists, including X-ray, MRI, and CT. Ending my volunteer work, I left with organization skills and more knowledge of the various modalities.
[ David Mildenberg]
CONFERENCES & CAMPS
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One of the benefits of being in Student Government is the exposure to leadership I get to experience along the way. As I started my transition from senator to president, I was sure to attend events that would aid me in my role. So, for two days in April 2023, I attended a statewide conference lead by a student-based organization called N4CSGA, representing the 58 North Carolina community colleges. At this Raleigh conference, I attended multiple workshops where I learned to how to lead, problem-solve, and improve local and statewide student issues.
In June 2023, I took another opportunity to connect with other student leaders in North Carolina. At Camp Caraway, N4CSGA once again put on workshops. This time, students got an in-depth detail on how to run SGA meetings and how to deal with conflicts as a leader. Leaving camp, I felt more confident in my ability to be SGA president and was excited to bring back fun workshops to the rest of the team.
NAIL SALON RECEPTIONIST
My first and only job as a dual-enrolled student was working at my family-owned nail salon. Going into this job as a 14-year-old in 9th grade, I was quite timid of the world around me. As I warmed up to the environment and was trained in how to answer phone calls and make appointments, I began to find my voice. Through both sweet and tough interactions with various customers, I improved my problem-solving skills as well as customer service skills. Today, I am able to speak with new people, whether it being a peer, professor, or clients, without much nervousness. I truly enjoyed my time working with family, including those that I met and connected with since 2021.
"We have to grow fast. We have to work this hard. We have to prove we deserve this and we have to top our last achievements." - Taylor Swift
Other images taken by Thaila Dao