† ABOUT ME †
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give" - Winston Churchill
Photo Credit: Sarah Sellhorst
Our GLD class for the Spring of 2017
“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” - Matthew 19:26 (KJV)
Hello, my name is Jesse Adams. I am from Rock Hill, South Carolina and attend the University of South Carolina Lancaster. I am a junior on campus but I am currently in my second year for the four-year nursing program. I am a part of the BSN progression to the Upper Division part to the program that begins this fall, when I will be considered a Columbia student. After gaining initial knowledge of what Graduation with Leadership Distinction (GLD) was, I became very interested. I would be lying if I said I was not enticed by the idea of extra recognition and being awarded a cord for graduation. I had certain ideas for what it entailed, which included a lot of additional coursework and time, but was unsure of the benefit for me as a student. Pursuing GLD was solely an individual decision because I decided I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, do something extra to gain more initiative, and increase my college experience. When I heard there were several forms of GLD, research was one that appealed to me the most. My initial thoughts were that I had to begin new research study with a mentoring professor and that seemed intimidating. This almost turned me away from the inner desire to pursue this distinction until I realized I had already been actively involving myself with research with the head of the nursing program, Dr. Courtney Catledge.
​
I am a strong believer in Christ and I believe that He guides and directs my life. I have had to make sacrifices and decisions to benefit myself and I have to sometimes even go outside my boundaries for God. I believe I have a voice and strong potential, which is why I decided to do the extra work and involve myself with GLD. I was surprised upon working on my GLD E-portfolio content that the experience I have had is very different from how I originally perceived GLD to be. The work that went into this distinction was expected but my knowledge gained from working with others and identifying my strengths were made clear. My willingness to participate in research and move out of my comfort zone was very beneficial now looking back because God revealed my potential to work with others.
My desire to learn and become more than the student I was before was made possible through research and involving myself with GLD. I am strong willed and work hard for whatever I desire. God gives me the strength to do these things. The personality God gave me is something I do not change but my efforts of hard work, determination, and settling for nothing less than excellent is a blessing from Him. I believe when living for God, He should get the credit and get the best efforts from His children. Sometimes taking that leap of faith and stepping outside of comfort zones can allow God to reveal someone’s capabilities as a student and then one can pursue their desires and ambitions if they take this leap. My key insights all involve traits that come from God. God gives us the ability and strength to be independent individuals and bring glory to Him. Being a servant and following God is one of the important duties for a Christian and my efforts to serve others and put them before myself is a display of living like Christ. To be a follower of Christ comes with challenges and many things in life can bring about many doubts and troubles. It is up to Christians to assist others in realizing God is in control of everything and that we must instruct others to put their trust solely in God, because He is stronger than we will ever be.
​