Lana Goitia did not plan to attend the University of North Georgia (UNG). The Monroe, Georgia, intended to enroll at a liberal arts college in North Carolina, but she lacked the scholarship money to cover the costs.
Shortly after that disappointment, Goitia went to a Gainesville Theatre Alliance play on UNG's Gainesville Campus.
"I thought 'I could apply here' as I walked around the campus," she said.
Goitia applied and was accepted. She earned a degree in political science in May 2020. She excelled on campus.
"It all started in my freshman year at UNG when I came to a Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) open house," she said. "I got plugged into the Latino Student Association (LSA) because I thought it was an awesome club that I could join."
Goitia decided to join more clubs and overextended herself. It proved difficult.
"I had a hard time finding my footing," she said. "That first year was a kick in the teeth."
But she regained her ground in her sophomore year. She found a place to belong when she worked at the MSA's front desk.
"MSA is home to me on campus," Goitia said. "This is where I could come on a bad day and have support."
She also connected with Dr. Robert Robinson, director of MSA, who encouraged her to become a Diplomat for Diversity. Diplomats for Diversity are UNG students who engage the campus community in dialogue around social justice, diversity and equity issues. They are a peer education resource available to faculty, staff and student organizations around campus.
Goitia helped support and educate others about diversity in and out of the classroom.
"If a professor wants to supplement issues in class, we can be there," she said. "It's a big education component. It's exciting to be a part of that on campus."
Goitia also helped student groups such as Spectrum and LSA organize events. She also collaborated with nonprofit groups. For example, she helped Georgia Cares organize an event in fall 2018 to highlight the issue of human trafficking event. Goitia also helped construct an expo for Women's History Month in March.
In summer 2019, she worked as a community engagement and voting rights intern with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Georgia.
Goitia also was an officer with LSA and the Students for a Progressive Society. She also excelled academically, earning As and Bs.
The highlight of Goitia's college career was when the self-proclaimed Disney nerd won an internship to work at the "happiest place on earth" in Orlando, Florida.
"That was my whole dream growing up," she said, explaining it took her three attempts to win the highly competitive job. "I was sitting in my room when I got the email. I ran downstairs and started freaking out. My mom thought something was wrong. Then I told her to look at my email. We were ecstatic."
Goitia said she loved the experience of working there during the spring 2018 semester.
"It was great to be able to help make the magic," Goitia said. "I would do it again in a heartbeat."
She said she learned several lessons while in Florida from January to May 2018. The first was living with five roommates who were not her siblings. The second lesson was managing her time. The third lesson was honing her problem-solving skills to deal with customers of all ages.
She used those same skills to her advantage at UNG since the university helped her grow as a person.
"I would not be the person I am today if I had not gone to UNG," she said.
