Shandreka McCullough

“College has always been my plan. I understood in middle school that to do anything I wanted to do, I needed to go to college,” Shandreka McCullough, a junior Media Communication major, says.

In high school, Dreka says there was one teacher that really inspired her in choosing her major. “I wanted to be like Carol Bunsgard, because she was so passionate about her degree in Media Communication.”

Dreka speaks volumes about the support system she has in her family but says the one thing that has been so unexpected has been the large support system she has found on campus – from faculty, classmates and friends. She says she has found an extended family at UAFS.

It was at Cub Camp that Dreka was encouraged by her counselors to sign up for a sorority. Though she was hesitant, she now says she is so thankful for that encouragement because she fell in love with Greek Life and has made friendships that will last a lifetime. Dreka has served as the Panhellenic President and is also a Resident Assistant (RA) on campus.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t all been easy. Dreka says she struggled with the FAFSA because she didn’t know how to get started, and she and her mom were intimidated because they didn’t want to get anything wrong. It was just last summer that she says that she fell into some financial aid troubles and was ready to give up and throw in the towel. It was in this time she says that UAFS Executive Director for Student Retention Jennifer Holland went to bat for her, encouraging her to finish strong. Dreka says, “I owe Jennifer my degree; I’m three semesters away from graduating because of her.”

Dreka also struggled with studying in her first semester, because she thought she didn’t understand the difference between high school and college. Her best advice to other first generation students is this: “Love the library. Do not go to socialize but open those books, and make the most of your time. And get involved on campus and find your people.”

At UAFS, Dreka has fallen in love with university life. She has decided that after graduation, she is going to pursue a master’s degree in higher education. Upon completion, she hopes to become a Greek Life coordinator at a university.

This is Shandreka McCullough, and she is #First2Go!