ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ

[Interviewer] Welcome to the University of North Georgia's Political Science & International Affairs Department's YouTube channel.

In this segment of our "Meet Our Students" series, you'll have the opportunity to meet one of our most recent grads, Dahlonega native, Neva Garrett.

Neva left ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ on the 3rd of May with her degree in political science. Along with receiving her degree on the 3rd, Neva had the honor of being the second PSIA major in two graduation ceremonies to speak at a ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ commencement ceremony.

We caught up with Neva a few days after the ceremony, and after she had some time to decompress, to chat about her time with PSIA and to get her reaction to her experience as a graduation speaker.

Good afternoon, Neva.

[Neva Garrett] Good afternoon.

[Interviewer] What an honor -- to be selected to speak at a ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ graduation. But before we get into some of the particulars, would you please tell us a little bit about yourself? Who exactly is Neva Garrett? And how did she get to this position in life?

[Neva] Well, I, my family moved up here in 1978 so I to some degree consider myself a native. And here is where I graduated high school, Lumpkin County High School in 1981. And I had met my husband at a homecoming dance in 1980, and he was my boyfriend at the time. So right after high school, I went off to college, as, you know, as one should, and basically, I was homesick. And I was very homesick for my at the time boyfriend. So I dropped out. And ... I had continued to try to get my degree through what used to be called correspondence courses. And it never was successful.

Meanwhile, I built a business. My husband and I had  and raised seven children. And then when I dropped number seven off at college, I came home and I just went through that empty nesting depression where I was like, what do I do now? And my third born said, "Well Mom ... You've dropped seven children off at college and always regretted not finishing yourself." So that's what I did. I went down and I enrolled here at ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ. And, I am now disabled, and so took most of my classes online. And that's how I got to be here at ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ.

[Interviewer] Well, a fascinating story. And welcome back, but also congratulations on leaving.

As a ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ graduation student speaker, so you were one of two selected from the College of Arts and Letters, what does your selection to be a speaker among the several hundreds of graduates, and this opportunity, mean to you?

[Neva] I was very honored and somewhat validated, especially as a non-traditional and disabled student, because, it's a little different road for us. And I think that part of what it said to me is that all of those roads are honored and all of those paths ... however it is that you got here to ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ; however it is that you chose your major; whatever path that took to get you here to this graduation day ... it's valid. It's as valid as anyone else's.

[Interviewer] Speaking of graduation, you and your classmates from the Class of '24 are the first to experience our new Drill field. What do you think about it?

[Neva] It's beautiful. It's very well done. Although the rock work and everything, it's absolutely beautiful.

[Interviewer] Does it change the atmosphere in your mind?

[Neva] Changed the, the beauty. The campus has always been beautiful, right? And then it just brought it up. It just brought up the beauty. And in terms of the atmosphere, I've seen a lot of great social things happen out there. I've seen a lot of even community, family type events happen out there. So I think it was fitting to upgrade and to, like I say, it's always been beautiful, but to more beautify.

[Interviewer] Okay. Neva let's go back to when you first joined the PSIA family. You first came to ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ or North Georgia College, as you mentioned as it was known then, from Lumpkin County High School. Over 40 years ago?

[Neva] Yes, sir.

[Interviewer] You returned in 2019 to finish your degree in what you had started. What got you interested in political science? And perhaps most importantly, again, I go back to that question -- Why here?

[Neva] Well, here is because this is home, and I have always driven by and loved this campus. I do have two children that attended here. And so this was first choice, only choice, really in terms of where I wanted to go to get my degree.

Political Science ... I had originally signed up to do business classes, and I will be very honest with you. I was also honest in my commencement speech. The technology – the computers, the Internet, that was the hardest part for me to adjust to a classroom setting. And so I took a class in my, pursuing my business degree that was called Computer Science. And I passed with much tutoring. Thank you for the ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ Tutoring Services. But I found it so very difficult.

And I was talking to the academic advisor that next semester, and I was like, a business degree is going to be more of this, like a lot of this. And he said, “Yes, it is.” He said, “What else are you interested in?” And he guided me through all the different degrees.

And when he got to Political Science, I was like, that's a thing? -- because I am very political. I've been political since the day I could vote, and I've done in my younger days, sit-ins and protests and I've worked on a couple of campaigns throughout the decades. And so that just thrilled me. I was like, Oh, yeah, that's the one, Political Science. And I was full speed ahead after that.

I loved every single class. I loved every single professor. It was just the right fit for me.

[Interviewer] So looking back at the past several years, what experiences from the Political Science program have been most meaningful to you both at the time in the last five years, your academic career, but maybe to your life in general.

And then extrapolate a little bit. What do you anticipate being most meaningful to you as you look forward?

[Neva] Well, I absolutely loved researching, which I realize is not everybody's cup of tea, but I love to research, and I love to know things and understand things. And there were some things that I have come to believe through experience that I learned I was incorrect about, and there are some things I've come to believe that I learned through the research and through the classes that I was correct about, and that was an important part.

One very exciting thing. There was one semester where I had the little category that, the categories on Banner like A, B, C, D, E, F. It was one of them, and the class that I needed to fulfill it was called Model UN. And I was like, I wonder if that's what I think that is. And I signed up for it with a bit of fear and trepidation because I thought, is this going to be a lot of walking? Is this going to be, you know, going off to a conference? So I figured if it was, if it didn't work out well, then I would just, you know, speak to my professor and they would understand that I would have to drop the class.

So, when I got into the class and I spoke to the professor. He said, "No, the conference is at a very nice hotel. It's ADA compatible, and there's not a lot of walking. Everything happens in one room."

So I did it. I took the Model UN class, and it was amazing. Our professor chose Russia. And that was two years ago. So, look at your timeline and know what that means. And then I was on the Human Rights Council and just happen stance that particular year there was a council on Disability Rights. And so I took that position and I won Best Delegate.

{Interviewer] Good. Good for you.

[Neva] That was my highlight.

[Interviewer] Now that you've finished up your Political Science degree, what's next on Neva Garrett's agenda?

[Neva] Well, I have been a theater producer for many decades, and I am now building a small playhouse. So once I get that done, and I am 60, and I understand that after 62, the offerings are even more reasonable, especially in terms of financial aid, once you turn 62. So if I come back and I'm not saying I won't, I just might, it will be in a couple of years. I've got a couple of life things I need to catch up on, especially having been in school for the last five years. I have some life things to catch up on, and then definite maybe, I might be back.

[Interviewer] Well cool.  In closing, Neva, normally, at this point I ask my interviewee to pass on some words of wisdom to the audience. But in your case, you've already done so a couple of weeks ago. So with your permission, I would like to play a clip from your commencement address.

[Neva] Certainly.

[Begin Commencement Address extract]: The last four years have not been easy. I have taken most of my classes online because of my disability. Thankfully, ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ has an amazing slate of support programs. I was at the tech, tech desk at least once per semester, trying to understand D2L; two-factor verification; Microsoft Teams. I took advantage of the tutoring services, which is the only way I passed Spanish. Student intern classes, which is the only way I passed computer science. And the specialized librarians who helped me finally understand APA citation formatting.

Disability Services was amazing in various ways. Parking Services helped me out when I could not find ADA parking. Financial Aid and Academic Advising were very helpful and patient when I came back every semester and asked the very same questions every semester.

I am so very thankful to note also that the students have been welcoming and respectful of my learned insights. Not one "okay Boomer" in four years. I must say most comforting at all, of all, were the professors. I did not have one single gripey professor. [End Commencement Address extract]

If you want a degree; if that is a thing that you have always wanted to do but feared that maybe at this point in your life, it would be too difficult. I would very much encourage you to come to ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ, because, if you are honest with yourself and honest with your professors and honest with the different programs they have here, ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ has what you need in terms of support programs. There is no reason to be intimidated, absolutely no reason to be intimidated and every reason to be empowered to go back to school and get that degree if you want to.

[Interviewer] Thank you, Neva, for your time today. On behalf of the entire Department, congratulations on completing your Bachelor's degree, and most especially your selection to be a commencement speaker and have the opportunity from the audience end, to listen to someone who's been through what you've been through and hear that and see what life can be like. I wish you all the best in all your future endeavors.

[Neva] Thank you so much.