Tara Crow is a junior Healthcare Informatics and Administration major and a member of the Corps of Cadets on the Dahlonega Campus.   

For Tara, freshman year at UNG got off to a bit of a rocky start. She moved over four hours away from her home in Valdosta, GA to attend UNG, and for a while, she wasn’t sure if she made the right choice. But, she knew she wanted to commission into the Army as a Second Lieutenant, and UNG’s Corps of Cadets would prepare her to do just that. 

Now, Tara looks back and wouldn’t change a thing. Her roommate forced her to get out of her comfort zone, and she’s developed friendships with her fellow cadets that have supported her throughout her time at UNG. She’s become so much more confident and extroverted over the past few years that even her family and friends from home have noticed the change in her.

“I think the most important thing is figuring out your path and how you’re going to take it."

This year, Tara will be the leader of the Second Battalion Mentorship Program, and she’ll have a freshman mentee to take under her wing and show the ropes of both life at UNG and life within the Corps. Tara wishes she had participated in this program when she was a freshman to have someone to talk to about what she was going through and someone to give her advice and model leadership. That’s why she wants to be that person for another incoming cadet.

Tara’s advice for future Nighthawks is to not dwell on the negative things that happen, but enjoy all the little moments. You have the rest of your life to worry about work and other things, so make the most of your time here while you can.