FSU's Garnet & Gold Scholar Society: Fall 2022 inductees
Ana Dolorit: Literature, Media, and Culture; graduated with Honors
What motivated you to pursue the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society membership?
Garnet and Gold provided a structure through which I organized my extracurricular experiences. Not only was it really motivating for me to have a visual representation of my achievements, but, through essays and synthesis, Garnet and Gold became an achievement in its own right.
The requirements include involvement in three of five areas: International, Internship, Leadership, Research, Service. Could you please describe your involvement in the areas you chose?
I interned with the Florida Senate during my first year at FSU and stayed there for the next two years! To complete my international involvement, I studied abroad in Jiliquillo, Nicaragua, engaging in environmental activism. I cleaned beaches, planted mangroves, and released baby sea turtles every day. Jiliquillo is a fishing town dependent on its water ecosystems and safe sea turtles to maintain a strong economy. I also conducted research through the UROP program that will soon be published, along with my contributions.
What did you enjoy most about working toward the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society membership?
The medal! I'm kidding. Of course, the medal is a material possession I will cherish forever, but I enjoyed so many things along the way. If I had to pick, I will always cherish the connections I have made throughout my different involvements. My strongest bond forged was with my internship boss, who hired me twice after I comepleted my internship for Garnet and Gold. Those are the types of opportunities that engaging with the requirements of Garnet and Gold may yield if you take advantage of the connections.
What advice would you give to a first-year FSU student, either specific to the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society or in general about enjoying an academics/nonacademics balance?
Stay in touch with the faculty/staff/directors/counselors you will meet during your time at Florida State and organize your involvements well so that you have time to really relish in each without being burdened by too much responsibility.
What plans do you have for post-graduation?
I will be studying for the LSAT, applying to law schools, and editing my Honor’s thesis for submission into an Undergraduate Research Journal. I will also be working part time for a legal defense firm in Miami.
Carlisle Ziesig: Creative Writing and Psychology; graduated Summa Cum Laude
What motivated you to pursue the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society membership?
There was a lot I wanted to do at FSU which matched some of the Garnet and Gold involvement areas. Pursuing a Garnet and Gold Scholar Society membership gave me the opportunity to interact with the FSU community in a more official way. I was also able to genuinely reflect on my experiences which made them feel more rewarding.
The requirements include involvement in three of five areas: International, Internship, Leadership, Research, Service. Could you please describe your involvement in the areas you chose?
I chose international, research, and internship. For the international section I studied abroad for two semesters in London. I had always wanted to experience living in the UK, but it's this opportunity which introduced me to the Garnet and Gold Society and have me a reason to analyze my experience in a different cultural setting. For research I participated in UROP. Despite being a psychology student, I used this opportunity to work with something in Anthropology compiling bibliographies on African tribes and cataloging museum pieces. The fact that this experience was working towards my G&G membership let me feel secure in choosing something unrelated to my field of study, rather than like I was wasting the time. Lastly, I did a one semester Experience Recognition Internship within a Cognitive Psychology lab which matched my goals to learn more about psychology research.
What did you enjoy most about working toward the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society membership?
What I enjoyed most about working towards the G&G membership was the requirement to genuinely reflect on my experiences, the added reason to become more involved at FSU, and the ability to try new things without feeling bad about them not matching my official area of study.
What advice would you give to a first-year FSU student, either specific to the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society or in general about enjoying an academics/nonacademics balance?
Although I don't think I have the best study/life balance, I would suggest they follow their interests and explore the many options both academically and socially FSU has to offer. What people consider 'balance' looks different to everyone; instead try your best and focus on what you think is best for your success and happiness at FSU.
What plans do you have for post-graduation?
I will be moving back to Orlando and looking into psychology post bachelor positions, exploring my Clinical psych research interests, and taking time to work on personal creative projects. Eventually, I would like to apply to graduate school for Clinical Psychology, but I want to narrow my interests within the Mental Health sphere first.