We are BEYOND excited to introduce our next guest writer: Kate Hall! Kate graduated from UGA this May with a degree in Public Relations, and she was the 2025 Commencement Speaker. Kate is extremely involved and has made a name for herself on campus. Most importantly, she is a genuine and loving friend. Dawson met Kate freshman year through SGA, and they have been close friends ever since. Saanvikha met Kate through Tate Society the spring of their freshman year but bonded a lot more through UGA at Oxford last fall. From afternoon tea, botanical garden tours, to Tate banquets, we’ve really gotten to know each other well. In this post, Kate dives into her experiences with service and community during her time at UGA, so join us in reading her beautiful story!
Dear Reader,
Hi! My name is Kate Hall. I just graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations. Currently, I’m wrapping up my time as the communications intern at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, looking to move to Washington, D.C. later in the summer to pursue public affairs communications.
While it was a journey finding my place at UGA, as it was for so many people beginning college, I am so thankful for every bit of it. I’m honored to get to speak on my experience with two of my dearest collegiate involvements: First Year-Forum and the State Botanical Garden. Through both of these organizations, I experienced the transformative power of service and community in helping you find your passions and grow into a leader.
Servant leadership.
I remember hearing this phrase repeated over and over again as I sat in my first Forum meeting, an intimidated freshman who just wanted to find a place where she could belong, a place where she could really impact her school. My directors may have explained the dictionary definition of the phrase “servant leadership” at that very first meeting, but I learned what it meant to me– and got to see it in practice– throughout my first year in the Forum.
Servant leadership is serving others first, prioritizing the well-being and growth of your community. First-Year Forum, a branch of UGA’s Student Government Association created specifically to develop freshman students into community leaders, is the epitome of this phrase. The directors of the program assemble the freshmen (usually around 40-60 students) into small groups, all led by two Peer Leaders. Together, the small groups and their PLs partner with a community organization and serve with them every other week for the rest of the school year. My group was assigned to a local rehabilitation center for women who have been victims of trafficking or are recovering from addiction. I’m not going to lie to you, that first orientation was really hard for all of us. Sitting down in a cozy living room meant to make you feel right at home, while listening to the vivacious woman who greeted you at the door nearly break down while telling you the story of how her child got trafficked…it was heart wrenching. But, at the same time, it was such an important moment. It was one of those moments that stirs something inside your heart. One of those moments where you leave knowing you will never look at the world the same way again.
I walked out of that house and I knew I had found the right place and the right purpose in college. Forum quickly became my home– a foundation for growth, connections, service, and so much joy. After my first year wrapped up, I went on to be a PL in my sophomore year, and had the honor of being one of the three co-directors in my junior year. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience, one that was so challenging yet so fulfilling. I grew in ways I never even imagined, and each one of my three roles taught me lessons I’ll always hold close, and gave me friends I’ll care about for a lifetime. Now, I walk into the next chapter of my life, knowing that I have the tools to seek out underserved issues, have the conversations needed to bring light on these topics, and fight the good fight to make the community better. The world isn’t just going to fix itself, and I am so thankful that my circumstances led me to acknowledge this and yearn to do something about it. If I hadn’t applied for that “random” SGA club, if I hadn’t circled Forum as my top choice for freshman programs before my interview, if I hadn’t returned to be a PL or director…who knows? I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I’m so thankful that my college journey led me to Forum. I found a family, a second home for a little while, and I found a passion. The reason I have my sights set on DC is because I want to be a part of telling stories that matter; stories that can change the world for the people they impact. I want to do whatever I can to use the technical communications skills I learned in my undergraduate schooling to make the world a better place. Sounds cheesy, but I mean it. I am so thankful for the impact service had on my college experience, and it’s a value I will always prioritize and recommend to others.
I didn’t achieve all of this personal growth throughout college on my own, however. I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without the communities I have been a part of. From SGA to the Dean William Tate Honor Society to my Public Relations cohort to my UGA at Oxford friends, I have been lucky enough to be in rooms with some of the most brilliant, creative, inspiring people on campus. My peers have encouraged me and made my college experience so much better. That’s one thing I’ll miss about being in school: how easy it is to plug yourself into organizations and find new friends! To anyone who is still in school, or has yet to begin: don’t let this gift go to waste! Join that club you’ve been thinking about, try out for that team, try to make genuine connections with the people in your group project. You never know where it could lead.
One of my favorite communities during my undergraduate experience has been the State Botanical Garden. I began working as the communications intern during my junior year of school, and two years later, I’m wrapping up my time at the garden. I genuinely could not have asked for a better college job experience. From photographing events, to working two garden balls, to designing Georgia Pollinator Plant of the Year materials, to directing a photoshoot of Hairy Dawg at the Winter WonderLights show, to writing my first published article, I have had the most wonderful, developmental two years. I would not have been able to do any of it without the mentorship, trust, and guidance of my supervisor, and the encouragement and help of the entire garden staff. From the very beginning, they welcomed me into their community, and I got to experience what it feels like to have a working environment where everyone genuinely cares about each other and supports each other. Even though the garden is separated into different branches (Communications, Education, Horticulture, etc.), it takes everyone working together to be successful in creating a beautiful public garden for people to enjoy and visit time and time again. I am so thankful to have gotten to be a part of this community for a couple years, and for all of the personal and professional development that bloomed from my experience. Once again, I urge you: try to plug yourself into a community, whether it be an organization or just trying to get to know your coworkers better. It could bring you so many new relationships and connections.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading my story! Service and community are two aspects of life that are so important to me, and the fusion of these two things are so special. All of the words I’ve poured onto this page are a little bit of my heart that I hope you can take something away from. To sum everything up, please consider these takeaways:
- If you’re in college: join a service organization. You will never have an easier way to get involved and give back than you will right now. So why not? Give it a try. Make your college community a better place; after all, you may only live there for a few years, but the people who call it home forever will remain. And as an additional benefit, maybe your service community becomes an impactful community in your life! Maybe it brings you friends who will make your life and your college experience so much richer.
- If you’re already a working professional or anywhere else in your life where service isn’t as easily accessible: seek out opportunities to serve! Something as simple as a quick online search could turn into a whole community of like-minded individuals who go out and try to make their corner of the world a little bit better. This could be a great way to find friends in the professional world, too!
I challenge you all to do one thing in this next week to make someone’s life a little brighter. Random acts of kindness might seem simple, but they are the difference in turning someone’s worst day ever into the day they remembered the joy of life. Be that light in someone’s day. I hope you’ll be so glad you did.
With love,
Kate
