March 19, 2018
Editor's Note: On March 29, 2018, Dr. Steven Leath will be installed as the 19th president of Auburn University. Be a part of Auburn history and witness Dr. Leath as he shares an inspiring, innovative and transformative vision for Auburn's future. What follows is one in a series of 12 stories that highlight members of the Auburn family who embody these ideals. As you will see, Auburn is on the move. To learn more about the installation of President Leath, please visit www.auburn.edu/auburninspires
Justin Garrett and I were inspired by a group of second grade students from inner city Chicago who took a liking to Auburn University. That meant so much to us.
Three years ago, the second graders in Quinlan O'Grady's class studied Auburn for their college week. The scholars produced a video reciting Auburn's history and fight song, which they shared on social media.
That summer, Auburn University representatives visited Schmid, surprising the scholars with an invitation to visit Auburn in the fall. We were all touched by these young students' preparation, passion for learning and expression of the Auburn spirit. We were all so proud to be part of a university that cared enough to bring them to campus for an experience that opened doors and showed them that anything is possible.
At the time, I had just moved to Chicago to work in medical device sales for Baxter International. The following year, Justin landed a job with the company as well. We soon became familiar faces at Schmid Elementary, reading to scholars, speaking at career day and taking part in Auburn's Camp iCare in the summer. We wanted to continue to show those kids the Auburn way and make sure they understood that they're forever part of the Auburn family. It's been a great experience. Shedding light on our story, our background and trying to be an inspiration to those kids. They keep inviting us back and we keep going.
As President Leath reminds us, Auburn Alums are among the most visible and credible ambassadors for the Auburn experience. Auburn will grow in prestige and reputation through the impact of our alumni on our professions, disciplines and communities. Justin and I are committed to President Leath's vision and we will continue to share our story.
Spending time with the scholars at Schmid is a constant reminder to always live bigger than ourselves. We try to make an impact and give back to the kids. We try to insure they achieve the successes that we were able to and put them in a better position than they are in right now. It's really gratifying to see the smiles on their faces.
We were brought together by Auburn and we were brought together by the love of people. These kids learned about our school and they loved it. A love of Auburn is what brought us all together.