Bo Spalding

Being an out of state student, I feel, sets me apart from many of my other peers and students at the University of Georgia. To begin, I am from a decently sized town on the coast of Virginia called Newport News. It is most well known for its large naval shipyard and being close to the original Jamestown settlement. But I am not completely foreign to the land of Georgia, or the University. Both of my parents are from Georgia and attended UGA. To add, my family on my father's side, The Spalding's, can trace their lineage at the university all the way back to 1811. Thus, when I decided to attend UGA, I became a sixth generation bulldog. But more interestingly, I am the first Spalding out of this direct line to attend the university from another state, which I find very cool. I have never lived anywhere else in my life but Virginia. How did I end up there? Well, my father entered the navy directly after college and was lucky enough to be stationed there. I have always liked Virginia, but I felt like there was more elsewhere. Before attending UGA, I always wanted to live in Georgia. It felt like my rightful home with majority of my family living there and the history we have there. But ever since being here I have come to apppreciate where I grew up. When I first got here in the fall and realized that hardly anybody was an out of state student, like myself, it was tough to adjust. I simply could not relate and felt a tad alienated for the first time in my life. Over the course of the semester I began to realize that being out of state is not a bad thing and nothing to be ashmed of. A lot of my friends actually commend me for being out of state, often saying they could never be that far away from home. Also, many people began saying to me that it is unique that I am from a different area. After many instances and encounters, I started embracing the ideas, feeling like I bring something different to the table than everybody else. Overall, I am very thankful for where I grew up and the ways it has shaped me into the person I am today.