Student awarded 2018 Jordan Smith Undergraduate Fellowship

January 11, 2018

Senior psychology student Staci Robinson was recently awarded the 2018 Jordan Smith Undergraduate Fellowship and will represent Georgia Southern University at the 37th Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience in February.

Robinson, a Reidsville, Georgia, native, is one of just five award recipients across the nation. She will accept the award in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 10. The conference will highlight keynote and plenary speakers focused on critical issues in higher education, colleague clusters for networking opportunities, and commercial and nonprofit exhibits offering strategies and resources to support college transitions.

“I am so delighted to be receiving this award because of the opportunity to travel to San Antonio and attend the conference,” said Robinson. “I am eager to learn how to foster success for first-year students so that I can bring back valuable knowledge to the Georgia Southern community.”

Robinson has worked with the University’s First-Year Experience (FYE) for two years. She started as a peer instructor while maintaining a 4.0 GPA, before taking on the roles of peer academic advisor and peer leader supervisor.

“In each capacity, she has exemplified everything we look for in a student leader and mentor,” said FYE Director Chris Caplinger, Ph.D. “Through these experiences, Staci has discovered a passion for student development, and hopes to pursue a career in higher education. The Jordan Smith Fellowship would provide her a powerful springboard to do so.”

As a fellow, Robinson will have the opportunity to advance her leadership skills and knowledge base of undergraduate students in an effort to encourage first-year development in students on campus.

To learn more about the fellowship, visit http://sc.edu/fye/awards/undergraduate/index.html. To learn more about FYE at Georgia Southern, visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu/fye.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research institution founded in 1906, offers 142 degree programs serving more than 27,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Savannah, Statesboro, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.