Georgia state Sen. Shelly Echols, '02, embraces a servant leadership mentality. It comes naturally for Echols, who was a student at the University of North Georgia (UNG) the day of the Sept. 11 attacks and was impressed by the readiness and commitment of UNG's cadets that day.
"You can lead best when you're serving those you're with and setting the example of what to do," she said.
Echols used her bachelor's degree in social science education as a social studies teacher at East Hall and Johnson high schools in Hall County for five years. She led Daniel's Educational Tours, which she founded as a company that helped plan school field trips, for over a decade. Echols also served as director of human resources for Daniel's Charters in Lula, Georgia.
She entered politics when she was elected to the Hall County Board of Commissioners in 2018, followed by her 2022 election to the Georgia Senate.
The common thread through each of her endeavors has been diligence.
"Be the person that's always working. Don't be the one sitting and watching other people work. Whatever the task, you have to be willing to do the work," Echols said. "I don't like self-promoting. Your actions should show what you're doing. Don't do things for recognition. Do it for the right reason."
Echols said she never aspired to enter politics and plans to be in the profession for a short time before passing the torch to others.
"If you don't like the way something's being done, then you need to be willing to do it yourself," Echols said. "That's why I got into politics. It's not about me. It's about my community and what I have to offer."
At the end of the day, leadership comes down to action for Echols.
"Servant leadership is so important and works so well because you're acting on what you're trying to accomplish," Echols said. "That's what you get from being a student at UNG: Get in there and contribute. Of all the places I could have gone to college, I went to the best one."
