Middle Georgia State MVP: Amory Cook
Author: News Bureau
Posted: Monday, November 4, 2013 3:07 PM
Category:
Finding Greatness
Macon, GA
Full Name: Amory Allene Cook.
Age: 21.
Hometown & Residence: Eastman.
High School: Dodge County High School, where she was a member of the Beta Club and an honor graduate.
Family: Mother, Paula Cook; father, Greg Cook.
Current Employment: MGSC student worker for the natural sciences department. “I set up chemistry, biology, and microbiology labs for classes.”
Degree Objective: Bachelor of science in biology.
Class Rank: Senior.
Primary Campus: Cochran.
Activities: MGSC Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Science Club.
Career Goals: Shark research. “I want to study their population size, estimated life span, gestation period, ecological impact, etc. Sharks are among the most important organisms in every ocean. Humans have decimated shark populations by 90% in the last century and I want to know the ecological impact it has on marine communities.”
She chose Middle Georgia State College (MGC) because … “It was a reputable college that was close to home. I knew that I could earn a degree in biology at MGSC and that it would be a firm stepping stone. Middle Georgia State College was not my first choice but I am truly glad that I decided to attend here. I have built relationships with other students and professors that I could not have made at a larger college.”
The one thing that surprised her about Middle Georgia State was … “I was not surprised about anything. Many of my friends were already in college here by the time I began attending.”
Her favorite professor is … “Dr. Gloria Huddleston is definitely my favorite professor. She is such a joy to be around and I love her sense of humor! I recently doubted my ability to maintain my career choice and she helped me pull through the doubt and tough times. She has never stopped pushing me to do my best because she believes in me and knows that I can do what I am setting out to accomplish. I have had Principles of Biology, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology, and Environmental Sciences with her. To be honest, if she taught every class I needed I would always take it with her!”
Her favorite place to study is … “I study best when I am at home. I can crank my music up loud and just drown out the rest of the world. Some people can’t focus with noise but I have to have it! The best part of being at home is that people aren’t moving around and visually distracting me.”
One thing people don’t know about her is … “I usually don’t keep anything about myself secret, but I guess not many people know that I swam with whale sharks this past summer. It was one of the most magical experiences of my life! I knew the moment I was in that tank and swimming with those sharks that studying sharks and being in the water with them is what I am supposed to be doing. I loved sharks before that day, but my love and fascination for them grew so much that day! I can’t wait until it is my job to swim with sharks!”
Her friends make fun of her because … “If any of my friends make fun of me, they do it behind my back!”
The one person she’d most like to meet is … “I don’t have an answer for this one. I don’t think of celebrities as all that great and I am not sure what I would talk about with any presidents.”
Five years from now she sees herself … “Hopefully working with Dr. Al Dove on whale shark research at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. This incorporates traveling to Mexico to study whale sharks in the wild and working at the aquarium as a diver. I also see myself with a master’s degree in marine sciences. Marriage is definitely in the five year range. I am looking forward to establishing myself as an adult and going to my job every day with a big smile on my face!”