Grads prepare for their next steps

The University of North Georgia (UNG) is scheduled to award almost 1,000 degrees and certificates this fall, and more than 600 graduates will take part in commencement ceremonies Dec. 7 in the Convocation Center at UNG's Dahlonega Campus. They leave UNG buoyed by support from faculty, staff and fellow students as they prepare for what comes next.

Itzel Moreno earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in the spring and is wrapping up her degree in modern languages with a concentration in Spanish language and literature and Spanish translation certificate this fall. The Gainesville, Georgia, resident is thankful for the variety of experiences UNG has provided.

Moreno worked at multiple medical facilities during her nursing clinical rotations, and she has studied abroad in Spain, Peru and Mexico. The Peru trip was funded by a nationally competitive Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship she won, and she also earned a competitive Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities award to support the Mexico trip where she presented her research. Moreno also earned a Ty Cobb Scholarship to help her complete her language studies.

Once she completes the National Council Licensure Examination, Moreno's is goal is to become a cardiac nurse at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville because she particularly enjoyed her clinical rotation in the cardiac catheterization lab.

Moreno hopes others will follow her lead in blazing their own trail as they pursue their goals.

"Follow your own path. If there's something you're interested in, go ahead and create it," she said. "Do the things that scare you. When you're truly challenged, that's when you grow."

Haley Menees, who is from Cumming, Georgia, is earning degrees in biology and chemistry with a biochemistry concentration. She is also finishing minors in Spanish and business administration.

She has earned a trio of nationally competitive scholarships: the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship and the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields and provides up to $15,000 per student over two years.

The NIH Undergraduate Scholarship was worth up to $20,000 and included a summer 2024 paid research experience at NIH and a year and a half of employment at NIH following her graduation from UNG.

Through her Gilman Scholarship, which supports education abroad, Menees was able to study in Spain during summer 2023.

Menees' goal is to have a career in neuroscience, and after working with Dr. Veronica Alvarez at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for the next year and a half, Menees plans to pursue a M.D.-Ph.D. program starting in fall 2026. Her work with Alvarez will focus on addiction vulnerabilities, aiming to determine who is most susceptible to these disorders.

She has appreciated the technical and professional precision emphasized by her chemistry faculty. The in-depth learning style advocated by biology faculty member Dr. Cathy Whiting has been instrumental in setting the stage for her next steps.

"Those skills are very important in medical school," Menees said. "The way Dr. Whiting teaches you to think prepares you for the medical field."

Dustin Ward, who is from St. Louis, Missouri, is earning his Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and preparing for an internship at the Deloitte accounting firm in London during the spring semester. Following the internship, Ward plans to return to UNG to pursue his Master of Accountancy.

Ward's team at the internship will be a group of U.S. students adjusting to an international context.

"I look forward to seeing a different culture and meeting new people," Ward said.

Previously, he was able to present at one of the Securities and Exchange Commission investor roundtables held at UNG's Dahlonega Campus in March, an occasion that allowed him to network with a wide array of professionals.

As a member of the accounting honor society Beta Alpha Psi (BAP), he helped UNG's Nu Gamma chapter co-host the BAP Mid-Year Meeting in Atlanta with students and faculty from the University of Tennessee.

"I am very introverted," Ward said. "These events have put me more out of my shell and allowed me to grow my public speaking skills."

After becoming a certified public accountant (CPA), Ward's goal is to eventually become a chief financial officer.