Fall 2014 Semester Begins at Southern Miss

The first day of the fall semester is underway at The University of Southern Mississippi, bringing with it the promise of a fresh start, the excitement of endless possibilities and inspiration to achieve new goals.

On a university campus many students begin the semester with plans to get more involved and meet new people, but this is particularly important to Rashauna Watts, a freshman mathematics major from Ohio.

As an out of state student, Watts reflected on how helpful Golden Eagle Welcome Week (GEWW) was in familiarizing her with the campus and meeting new people. She always had an interest in leaving Ohio to attend college, but was not sure where she would go until a friend brought her along to tour Southern Miss.

Upon visiting the campus, she met students who introduced her to the traditions and fell in love with the university. “I love it here,” Watts said. “Everyone is just so welcoming and kind.” She hopes to also earn an engineering degree and later work for a software company.

Terrance Hinton, a sophomore entrepreneurship major from Jackson, Miss. fell in love with the feeling of independence that comes with leaving home for the first time.

Hinton plans to work toward a 4.0 GPA this semester and continue to branch out and meet new people through student groups like SMAC and Enactus. After graduation, he hopes to use his degree from Southern Miss to achieve his dream of owning his own record label and making music, manage bands and establish his own brand of music.

Kari Mooney, a junior public relations major, is looking forward to focusing on her area of study. As a transfer student from Jones County Junior College, Mooney is excited to begin her coursework and looks forward to gaining a better understanding of the public relations industry.

“Coming from Jones, (USM) is a big campus, but I really like it,” Mooney said. “I'm excited because I'll be in classes in my major.”