{"647034":{"#nid":"647034","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Celebrating #GT21 Graduate Stories: Jessica Kilpatrick ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJessica Kilpatrick\u0026nbsp;chose to attend Georgia Tech because she knew that \u0026ldquo;it would prepare me for my future and get me to the next step.\u0026rdquo; Now graduating with a\u0026nbsp;bachelor\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;degree in\u0026nbsp;psychology and minor in\u0026nbsp;health and\u0026nbsp;medical\u0026nbsp;sciences\u0026nbsp;from the Institute,\u0026nbsp;with plans to attend the Emory University Physician Assistant Program in the fall, Kilpatrick\u0026nbsp;says she\u0026nbsp;feels confident\u0026nbsp;that her time at Georgia Tech has prepared her for the next phase of her\u0026nbsp;life.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKilpatrick\u0026nbsp;shares\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;on campus as an undergrad,\u0026nbsp;she\u0026nbsp;found a healthy balance between academics, career preparation, and social time.\u0026nbsp;She\u0026nbsp;kept\u0026nbsp;focus on her classes\u0026nbsp;\u0026mdash;\u0026nbsp;while making\u0026nbsp;time to play volleyball\u0026nbsp;and spend time with her\u0026nbsp;friends,\u0026nbsp;boyfriend,\u0026nbsp;and nieces.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShe also worked as a student assistant trainer\u0026nbsp;and currently serves in the coveted role as head\u0026nbsp;student\u0026nbsp;athletic trainer\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech Football, which\u0026nbsp;she notes\u0026nbsp;as\u0026nbsp;her favorite activity\u0026nbsp;so far\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech. \u0026ldquo;Being able to work with a team I grew up cheering for has been surreal, and I am sad that my Saturdays on Grant Field have come to a close.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs she prepares for\u0026nbsp;the semesters\u0026nbsp;and new adventures ahead,\u0026nbsp;Kilpatrick plans to celebrate her graduation by attending this spring\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;Commencement ceremony with her family. \u0026ldquo;I am most looking forward to getting my degree and completing one of the hardest things I have ever done,\u0026rdquo; she\u0026nbsp;adds.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EKilpatrick\u0026nbsp;recently joined us virtually for a Q\u0026amp;A on her\u0026nbsp;time as a student and what\u0026rsquo;s next:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESo,\u0026nbsp;how have your initial expectations of Georgia Tech compared to your actual experience?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore coming to Georgia Tech, I was worried about the rigor and difficulty of classes. I thought that there would not be much time to do things that I enjoy, but I was wrong. I found that,\u0026nbsp;to do well and maintain my mental health, I had to go out and enjoy things. It has been those moments with friends that have really grounded me,\u0026nbsp;and kept me at a level needed to succeed at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the most important thing you\u0026#39;ve learned at Georgia Tech?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe most important thing I have learned while at Georgia Tech is that academics are not everything. It is important to join clubs, stay active, and do things you enjoy. During my\u0026nbsp;first\u0026nbsp;year, I found a group of friends who loved to play volleyball, so\u0026nbsp;twice\u0026nbsp;a week we would go out and play.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis not only would give me a break from my work, but it would also lower my stress and allow me to be more attentive once I started studying again. It is important to find people who share\u0026nbsp;similar interests as you and help you relax, but also encourage you to focus on school when needed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your proudest achievement at Georgia Tech?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMy job with the football team is my proudest achievement.\u0026nbsp;In the spring\u0026nbsp;of my\u0026nbsp;first\u0026nbsp;year, I started working as a student athletic trainer with the team. Since then, I have transitioned into the role of\u0026nbsp;head\u0026nbsp;student\u0026nbsp;(athletic trainer), obtained over 2,000 hours of experience, and earned over $20,000 in scholarships.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile working alongside some talented athletes has been amazing, I am even more blessed for the training I have received from the athletic training staff,\u0026nbsp;and the connections I have made that will further advance my medical career.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhich professors\u0026nbsp;or class\u0026nbsp;made a big impact on you?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/meghan-babcock%22%20\/h%20%20HYPERLINK%20%22https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/meghan-babcock%22%20\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMeghan Babcock\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;has by far been my most influential professor, and she has served as my academic advisor for the past two years. Every time I stepped into her classroom or office, or even saw her around campus, she spoke to me by name and asked how things were going. For a professor to care that much for her students was amazing, and it was comforting to know that I could go to her if I ever needed help. Because of her attentiveness and care, she will always be someone I remember.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs far as classes go, Chemistry\u0026nbsp;1212 had the biggest impact on me. Throughout high school, I made all A\u0026rsquo;s, but I knew that at Georgia Tech, that was likely going to end, and I was prepared for it. During the fall of my\u0026nbsp;second\u0026nbsp;year, Chem 1212 broke my perfect record. And the grade? 89. Although I knew my perfect record would eventually end, it was still a humbling experience and again proved to me that academics are not everything. You do not have to be perfect to be successful.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your most vivid memory at Georgia Tech?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring my first semester,\u0026nbsp;I ended up with pneumonia and was having some bad reactions. But it was a hell week, and I would not let little ole\u0026nbsp;pneumonia stop me. Well, it ended up stopping me anyways. I was in a study session for a calculus test\u0026nbsp;that was coming up, and my throat\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;swelling up on me. I had to rush out of the study session, walk 20 minutes to my dorm, and finally get to the hospital.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile it was happening, I could not help but see the humor in the situation. I did not listen to my body telling me it needed to rest, so it made the decision for me. At this point I was not fully sold on the idea that \u0026quot;school isn\u0026rsquo;t everything,\u0026quot; but that experience definitely pushed me to start realizing that my health is important too.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is one piece of advice would you offer a current student?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDon\u0026#39;t let academics get in the way of forming friendships. There is\u0026nbsp;definitely a\u0026nbsp;balance,\u0026nbsp;and schoolwork should not be neglected\u0026nbsp;\u0026mdash;\u0026nbsp;but you will regret not spending time with your friends when given the\u0026nbsp;chance. Go to sporting events,\u0026nbsp;go to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/studentcenter.gatech.edu\/scpc\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESCPC\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Student Center Programs Council)\u0026nbsp;events,\u0026nbsp;take advantage of your time on campus,\u0026nbsp;because those are the memories you will keep.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere are you headed after graduation?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI am very excited to say that I will be heading to Emory University\u0026nbsp;to join their Physician Assistant\u0026nbsp;Program. My job with the Georgia Tech Football team, balance of life and school, and help from professors like Dr. Babcock all helped me get to this point\u0026nbsp;\u0026mdash;\u0026nbsp;and I\u0026nbsp;definitely owe\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech big time for how it has set me up for success.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKilpatrick, who is graduating\u0026nbsp;with a degree in psychology and minor in health and medical sciences,\u0026nbsp;shares that\u0026nbsp;her\u0026nbsp;path to a top-rated\u0026nbsp;physician assistant\u0026nbsp;program\u0026nbsp;has been\u0026nbsp;all about\u0026nbsp;balancing academics\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;her own\u0026nbsp;health\u0026nbsp;\u0026mdash; plus a lot of fun memories\u0026nbsp;working with\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech Football\u0026nbsp;as\u0026nbsp;head\u0026nbsp;student\u0026nbsp;athletic trainer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Kilpatrick, who is graduating with a degree in psychology and minor in health and medical sciences, shares that her path to a top-rated physician assistant program has been all about balancing academics and her own health \u2014 plus GT Football memories."}],"uid":"35185","created_gmt":"2021-04-29 04:07:54","changed_gmt":"2021-05-04 20:23:36","author":"kpietkiewicz3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"647031":{"id":"647031","type":"image","title":"Jessica Kilpatrick is a graduating with a degree in psychology and a minor in health and medical sciences.","body":null,"created":"1619668747","gmt_created":"2021-04-29 03:59:07","changed":"1619668747","gmt_changed":"2021-04-29 03:59:07","alt":"","file":{"fid":"245637","name":"roommate profile pic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/roommate%20profile%20pic.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/roommate%20profile%20pic.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2085694,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/roommate%20profile%20pic.jpg?itok=HGWgJbFi"}},"647033":{"id":"647033","type":"image","title":"Kilpatrick worked with Georgia Tech Football as head student athletic trainer.","body":null,"created":"1619669080","gmt_created":"2021-04-29 04:04:40","changed":"1619669093","gmt_changed":"2021-04-29 04:04:53","alt":"","file":{"fid":"245639","name":"Untitled design (5).png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Untitled%20design%20%285%29.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Untitled%20design%20%285%29.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3558540,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Untitled%20design%20%285%29.png?itok=_ERMK5oV"}},"647032":{"id":"647032","type":"image","title":"\u0022Go to sporting events, go to SCPC (Student Center Programs Council) events, take advantage of your time on campus, because those are the memories you will keep,\u0022 says Kilpatrick.","body":null,"created":"1619668971","gmt_created":"2021-04-29 04:02:51","changed":"1619668971","gmt_changed":"2021-04-29 04:02:51","alt":"","file":{"fid":"245638","name":"Untitled design (4).png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Untitled%20design%20%284%29.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Untitled%20design%20%284%29.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2435966,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Untitled%20design%20%284%29.png?itok=8lIkp9FO"}}},"media_ids":["647031","647033","647032"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"173215","name":"gt21"},{"id":"629","name":"graduation"},{"id":"627","name":"commencement"},{"id":"167710","name":"School of Psychology"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGrace Pietkiewicz\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Assistant\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:gracepz@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Egracepz@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["gracepz@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}