Paloma Galvan-Barron

Paloma Galvan-Barron is a Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH) Georgia Scholar who enrolled at the University of North Georgia (UNG) in fall 2021. The Gainesville High School graduate said the $10,000 REACH scholarship she received helped her accomplish her dream of attending UNG.

"It's always been something that's very special to me. I've always felt so fortunate to have this scholarship and to be recognized. We were actually the first graduating class that had the REACH scholarship," Galvan-Barron said.

The Gainesville native has always known about UNG and mentioned her excitement each time she drove past the university. This passion resulted in her dual-enrollment during her senior year of high school and aspiring into entering the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at UNG.

"I felt like I had a calling to help other people. I did an internship my junior year of high school at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, and that's when it really solidified in my mind that I wanted to be a nurse," she said. "It's something that I am very proud of — my willingness to help others. I don't have to think about it twice. I work at the hospital now as a unit assistant pretty much when I'm not at school. It's where I want to give my time. It makes me happy."

While being an official full-time UNG student for only a short while, the time has truly shaped her own self-understanding, as she's found she is more capable than she initially realized. As she continues her UNG journey with the hopes of graduating and becoming a nurse practitioner, she does so with the inspiration of her role model and mother, Dora Galvan, in mind.

"Todos los esfuerzos que tu haces ahorita van a valer la pena, porque tus sueños se van a cumplir," Dora says to Paloma which translates to, "All the efforts you make right now will be worth it, because your dreams will come true."