Joanna, an English major from Elgin, Texas, has worked as a Gregory Gym Building Coordinator and Program Assistant for two years.

What sparked your interest about working for RecSports?
I needed money as a freshman, because my parents were paying completely out of pocket for my education. RecSports seemed like the most fun and fulfilling environment in which to enrich my experience at UT. I have met some of my closest friends here, which is nice because I am from a very small school, so I was looking for that kind of atmosphere.

Describe how working at RecSports helped influence your college career?
Generally, it has shrunk UT to a manageable size, and I have made friends and connections with people who would otherwise have been strangers to me. Specifically, it has let me get to know patrons, including my professors, on a very personal level, which has enhanced my learning experience both in the classroom, and at work. I also have much more confidence in my own abilities as a leader, and look forward to each day’s new challenges and opportunities with alacrity.

What memories will you remember most fondly as you look back at your time as a RecSports employee?
Working all of our special events were some of the most memorable times in my years spent at UT. I was allowed the privilege of meeting former President Bill Clinton, actor Natalie Portman, coach Mack Brown, and countless other influential people who inspire those around them (and therefore inspire me). I will also remember 5:45am opens and 1am closes, those are unforgettable.

What does winning a RecSports Student Employee Scholarship mean to you? What will you do with the winnings?
Winning the Thomas W. Dison Endowed Scholarship is an honor for me. I am so happy that I have worked so diligently, and that my work has been noticed. I do everything in my power to better peoples’ experiences at Gregory Gym, and am thrilled that my work is paying off. The scholarship means security, financially, but also security with my own capabilities. This is a highly desired honor, and I cannot coherently express my gratitude. It means the world to me to have earned this scholarship, and it begins what I hope will be a very successful final semester at UT. The money from the scholarship is going straight into the bank. With graduate school forthcoming, I know that the more money that I have saved, the less painful paying for graduate school will be.

What are plans following graduation?
I will be applying for graduate schools all of this semester, with plans to begin graduate study in the Fall of 2010. I plan on earning my Ph.D. in English Language and Literature and pursuing my dream of becoming an author. I also will pursue a career as a professor, seeking to influence young people as so many of my professors influenced me. I hope to teach nineteenth-century literature, with particular emphasis on Jane Austen and social commentary. Potential graduate schools range from far east coast, to the west coast, to the UK. I’ll tread the path laid down in front of me with determination and perseverance, never stopping until I reach my dreams.