This past school year at Oxford has been incredibly rewarding. I had the pleasure of meeting Ella Anderson, an Oxford student who interned with NEF, and have been fortunate to maintain a good academic performance while also exploring leadership opportunities on campus.
Some highlights of my freshman year at Oxford College of Emory University included:
- Founding Resilient Hearts, Oxford’s first suicide prevention initiative on campus.
- Presenting mental health research, hosting a mental health Emory Cares Day project, and being featured at our undergraduate research symposium for mental health and science research.
- Speaking at the Georgia State Capitol to advocate for suicide prevention and hosting a candlelight vigil in honor of lives lost
- Attending Leadership Oxford and other programs that helped me expand my leadership and connect with state organizations promoting civic engagement
- Participating in first-generation student events and experiencing the opera for the first time
- Volunteering at a local nursing home and a farm.
- Taking courses that deepened my passion for environmental issues, philosophy, and ethics—especially through a class focused on the Anthropocene*
- And most importantly, growing in my faith through our on-campus Christian fellowship
*The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch that signifies the perod when human activities significantly impacted the Earth’s geology and ecosystems.
Though at times I felt overwhelmed navigating spaces where I was the only person of color, I’ve found strength in my community and purpose in each experience. I’ve met so many inspiring people and feel so hopeful and excited for what this next year will bring.
Madison Forsythe
Oxford College of Emory University | Biology Major | Pre-Med Concentration
Emory University Class of 2028