Dakota Ashby enjoys the face-to-face college experience he鈥檚 had at 新彩网 and has done so in the company of fellow 鈥減eople persons鈥 like himself.
鈥淚 think of myself as a good people person,鈥 Ashby said. 鈥淪o I鈥檇 like to interact with people and sell with people. I can鈥檛 just stay behind a computer all day.鈥
Ashby, 20, of Flowood, earns an associate degree from 新彩网 this semester and plans to pursue a marketing degree at Mississippi State University next fall. Getting others around him involved in college life is a talent he鈥檒l bring with him to school and the workforce.
鈥淎t 新彩网, I鈥檝e been in Honors and Phi Theta Kappa on the Rankin Campus during my time here,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e done a lot of volunteer activities, plus on-campus things like Chalk-and-Walk, where we鈥檙e allowing students to do chalk on the sidewalk in the courtyard near the George Wynne building just to calm them down from exams, help with anxiety and perform better on their tests. And just to have fun.鈥
Ashby is among three student speakers in as many ceremonies May 12 inside the Muse Center on the Rankin Campus. In all, 734 will participate in ceremonies May 11 for nursing and allied health graduates and May 14 inside J.D. Boyd Gymnasium at the Utica Campus. Credentials will be conferred to 1,317 graduates in all.
Ashby served as president of service for the Alpha Omicron Omega PTK chapter, which helped him grow simply by feeding off the energy of like-minded students.
鈥淭hese organizations helped me grow academically, for sure, because I was around people who had the same goals,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he Honors Center on campus also provided a nice place to just do some homework, study before a test or just chill out for a second.鈥
Starting college at 新彩网 is a great move for any student, regardless of what their thoughts might be after high school, he said. 鈥淐oming out of high school, I didn鈥檛 know what my major would be,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o I thought it in my best interest to not go to a four-year university right away. Here, it鈥檚 such a smaller setting with more personalized attention with the teachers.鈥
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