KIERSTEN PETERSEN
My experiences at Georgia Tech have
taught me the true meaning of "work
hard, play hard." Within one year of
entering Tech, I have deeply explored
my academic passions in biomedical
engineering and Spanish. Through
the Honors Program, I obtained the
opportunity to work in a biomedical
engineering lab concentrating on tissue
engineering in orthopedics. Only
at Tech would I have had the opportunity
to begin to perform research in
my career path specialty, orthopedics,
during my freshman year. This summer
I will study abroad in Mexico City with
the Spanish Languages for Business
and Technology program, providing
me an opportunity to explore the
Spanish culture and language while
actually living with a Mexican family
and experiencing complete immersion
into Mexican society.
My talent and passion for running
has been nurtured through my participation
in Tech's varsity cross country
and track teams. Through varsity
athletics, I have been supported by the
best teammates and coaches and have
made athletic accomplishments that I
never thought possible.
While academics and athletics
constitute important parts of my life,
the social atmosphere and the friends
that I have made here are what make
every day at Georgia Tech special and
unique and remind me why Georgia
Tech is my home and the right place
for me to grow into the woman I
wish to be.
"As an educator, it is heartening when I encounter a student who exhibits a genuine balance among stellar academics, purposeful extracurricular activities, and personal happiness—an ideal scholar. This is what I saw in Kiersten when she was in one of my GT1000 sections last fall. Her genuine sense of adventure and fun, her perseverance and drive,
her dedication to duty and to people, her empathy for others, her boundless energy and infectious enthusiasm—all of these, coupled with her keen intellect and hunger for learning, make her an ideal scholar in the truest sense of the word."
- Billiee Pendleton-Parker
President’s Scholarship Program