Find Your Passion
Students at The University of Alabama find countless ways to get involved and expand their horizons through exploration and discovery. This section highlights students who have found their passion while pursuing their interests, and shows ways they are making an impact on the University, the state, and the world.
Interest in Pirate Ship Drives Scholar to Warrior River
A UA student receives an opportunity to create his own version of the Blackbeard excavation.
In Helping Children Cope, Student Finds Herself
Meeting a young boy with cancer stirred a sea change in Sara Howard.
Inventions Spark Curious Camacho
No longer scolded for taking things apart, Nestor Camacho’s childhood curiosity leads to a career path.
For this Actor/Director, it's 'All in the Timing'
Studying both acting and directing, Tommy Walker has gained experience and insight both onstage and backstage.
It's All in the 'UA Family' for Gold Medalist
A University of Alabama senior says her "UA family" inspired her along the way to a Paralympic Gold Medal.
Bringing Southern Literary Influence to ‘Big City’ Publishing Houses
Alexandra Franklin has been enchanted by the written word for as long as she remembers.
From Cheering Champions to Becoming One
Ryan Martin has cheered on several championship-winning sports teams as a member of UA's varsity cheerleading squad, and now has a blossoming career in sports journalism.
May Graduate Became 'Yoga Jess,' Finds Career Path
A high-school athlete who could not touch her toes transformed into 'Yoga Jess' and found a career path along the way.
A Man With Plans
To see one of John Canada's plans unfolding, you'll have to be an early riser and willing to peer through the fog lifting off the Black Warrior River.
Finding Hope with Man's Best Friend
In combining her two passions - helping people and dogs - UA student Catherine Postell examines ways service animals make a difference.
Hoops and Rackets: UA Athlete Serves up Gold
When Mackenzie Soldan first arrived at UA, she thought her wheelchair tennis career was over; in reality, it had only just begun.
A Product of Positivity
An exemplary student and world champion water skier, Caroline Hensley is a force on the water and in the classroom.
Using Beauty to Build
From children's book author to fashion show coordinator, Abigail Hardin uses her interest in fashion to promote good in her community.
Finding Harmony in Family, Faith and Music
One of four talented siblings who make up the Lamb Family Violin ensemble, Kiemel Lamb started playing as a 4-year-old who was inspired by her older sister.
Rocket Girl
Shelby Cochran's life has been inundated with aerospace engineering since she was a little girl.
Student Sculpts Her Career Path
Lindsay Lindsey is an artist with a scientific bent, except when she's a scientist with an artistic bent.
Engineer/Linebacker Tackles the Heat
A former UA linebacker, Drew Bullard now sees his senior engineering design project contributing on the practice field.
Tweets That Touched Lives
In the days following the late April tornado, University of Alabama student Ashley Getwan experienced her own epiphany: “if we tweet it, they will bring it.”
A Natural Born Storyteller
Considering her last name, perhaps it’s no wonder journalism graduate student Allyson Angle loves finding just the right slant for each sports story she writes.
Fueled by a Love of Learning
As a child, Zack Coppens used paper clips to make door holders. Today, he prefers focusing on rockets and energy research.
A Well-Scripted Life
Not everyone is lucky enough to build a major around their hobby. Burgin, a junior from Columbus, Miss., did just that through New College at UA.
Making a Joyful Noise
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the Afro-American Gospel Choir has now become one of the most recognized student musical organizations on campus.
Making Every Move Count
Robert Maxwell's love for the game of chess developed at a young age, but not until his senior year of college did Maxwell have the opportunity to share his passion.
Telling a Mexican-American Story
Lisa Elizondo has given names and faces to the history of the farm workers movement in Washington state in the 1960s and 1970s.
World of Opportunities
Caroline Beard says UA has provided her a “world of opportunities.” And she has taken that adage to heart, from exploring the world to saving it.
Too Good to Fail
University of Alabama student David Bailey has an idea that is too good to fail, and it involves Alabama entrepreneurs seen as too small to succeed.
From Fascination to Aspiration
When Nikki Wheelus was a child she would gaze at the stars and wonder what was up there. The beauty of space amazed her.
Student Beats the Foster-Care Odds
University of Alabama student Sean Hudson could have been a statistic – instead he’s a success story.
More Than Child's Play
When Tiara Dees picked up a video-game controller at the age of 2, she didn’t know the pastime would become a passion.
Identifying the Plight of Rural, Expectant Moms
Students Jon Lauer and Elyse Love could not imagine living in a town without a hospital – until they began a research project revealing the plight of expectant mothers in rural parts of the state.
Military Nurse Returns from Afghanistan to Pick Up Doctorate
Dara Warren will walk across the stage at commencement Aug. 7, completing an almost seven-year mission that took her to Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, Germany and back home.
Sign Points Fulbright Scholar to China
A 30-minute tour of The University of Alabama in 2006 changed Jessica Hetherington’s life.
Saving Lives: UA Student Studies Ambulance Response Time
One ride could be the difference between life and death. That’s the lesson recent UA graduate Daniel Marbury learned by studying ambulance response times in Alabama.
Singer to 'Drive On' Following Graduation
UA May graduate Katy Montalto finished in the top eight of Country Music Television’s music video contest.
Internalizing Teamwork Concept
A UA Army ROTC Cadet whose performance score ranks third among nearly 5,000 undergraduate cadets, nationally, credits his achievement to those surrounding him.
More Than Makeup
Super models in glossy fashion magazines may be role models to some teenagers, but senior Jackie Parks has made it her mission to help area teens have a more realistic and healthier concept of their own beauty.
Photography's Influence
A picture is worth a thousand words, and Mark Lent can prove it, having spent half of his college career researching the thought-provoking effects of photography.
Bringing Spaces to Life
The sheer mention of a stereotypical college dorm room is enough to make any student homesick. Beth Eubanks says she’s helping ensure this stereotype will not exist at UA.
Shelter from the Storm
When University of Alabama student Courtney Thompson walked into a highway rest area in Louisiana, she had no idea it would change her future.
A Soulful Song
UA senior Sarah Pitts draws from her music-therapy training in comforting patients receiving hospice care.
A Football Field in a Teaspoon
When Elizabeth Junkin, a junior majoring in chemical and biological engineering, thinks of a football field, she envisions fitting it in a teaspoon.
Lights, Camera, Russell
The lights, applause and thrill of the stage inspire Russell Stephens, a sophomore at The University of Alabama and self-proclaimed “theater geek.”
WWI Romance Helps Student Bring History to Life
Mae and Lige were a young couple going through the everyday ups and downs of any relationship. Now, 90 years later, their old-fashioned courtship has been saved in their collection of letters, brought to life by University of Alabama honors student Daniel Bush.
An Everyday Inspiration
Little did Kayla Terry know that her class project tribute to her older brother, born with Down syndrome, would leave her with more than a good grade.
Oorah! A Marine and a President
Cullen Millsap had all the qualities of a student leader before ever enrolling in his first class on The University of Alabama campus. Now, the UA senior is president of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, sharing his leadership skills for the benefit of others.
Former 'Walking Time Bomb' Launches Stroke Initiative
Sophomore Alan Blinder directs the new UA Pediatric Stroke Initiative, focused on education, advocacy and research.
Committed to Creativity
Not every 20-year-old can say they have premiered a film at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Nor can many say they are fluent in six languages. Laura Godorecci, a recent University of Alabama graduate, can.
Transformer of Characters First Changed Herself
The Grinch isn’t known for inspiration, but recreating and designing makeup to transform herself into the Grinch for a class project convinced Stesha Ross she had found her calling.
Speaking of Passion...
For a member of UA's nationally acclaimed Alabama Forensics Council, there seems to be no better quality than a love of words – besides, perhaps, enthusiasm.
Another Problem Solved
When Kyle Scott began his college search, he treated it like any engineer might – as a problem-solving challenge. Only this time he was on a quest to find an engineering program that perfectly matched his expectations.
Marathon Runners
A group of Honors College students is training to run the Country Music Half-Marathon, and they have found a supportive community and a passion for running in the process.
Crimson and Gold
When Mary Allison Milford made the decision to attend The University of Alabama, she wasn’t just thinking about Tuscaloosa – she was also thinking about Beijing.
Diabetes Advocate Changes How UA Eats
Whether or not you have met Dana Lewis, if you are a member of The University of Alabama community, she’s probably changed the way you eat lunch.
The Dancing Doctor in the Making
Most people have a distinct preference for one type of thinking: they are left-brained or they are right-brained. Frank Barber, a senior double major in dance and biology at The University of Alabama, commands both.
The Virtual Capstone
Students interested in The University of Alabama now have an exciting new way to "tour" campus – through an online "world," known as Second Life.
Helping Her Hometown
A University of Alabama student brings fellowship and health care together with a project she views as inspiration for a healthier Tuscaloosa.
A Bridge to Somewhere
The first time Ynhi Thai set foot on the Capstone’s campus, she felt at home. Culture has led Ynhi Thai to a new passion at UA – utilizing what she’s learned to help others.
The Glass Shaper
Staff member Rick Smith, the facility manager for the Glass Blowing Facility at UA, creates custom glassware for use in research projects in a shop he designed himself.
Overcoming Odds, Obstacles of Divorce
Michelle Hawthorne is not your average UA student. One thing important to Hawthorne has also become her passion – the study of parental alienation syndrome or PAS.
Leading By Example
For Phillips Thomas, service-learning projects are not just resume-fillers. For her, she says, they are about leading by example and impacting people’s lives in a hands-on, personal way.
A Sports-Minded Entrepreneur
It may be hard to imagine most 19-year-olds as veterans of their chosen profession, but Matt Wilson is a vice president for production for HSTV Southeast.
Total Immersion
Gustave Hahn-Powell entered UA looking for exotic topics. What he found was a strong interest in the language, music and philosophy of Japan, some 7,000 miles from Tuscaloosa.
Southern Roots Inspire Student's Love of Language
Questions about language and culture formed the spark for Jamie Lee McReynolds to research, while an undergraduate, the way we speak and how it sounds.
Caring for the Community
Josh Hamilton’s dedication to those less fortunate is inspiring, and he has extended the sense of caring he says he found at UA to regions far from the campus’ borders.
Atypical Path to Patients Requires Patience
There were times, Lynnette Moats says, when quitting work to pursue a nursing degree seemed like a 4-year poverty sentence for her entire household, including her daughter and the two nieces she’s homeschooled throughout her college career.
Combining Passions
Andrea Mabry was always catching her friends in the act. But her photo albums and scrapbooks aren’t filled with the usual “say cheese” pictures.
A Learning Adventure
Two of Aldrich Callins’ passions are foreign travel and collecting information about the economies of foreign countries. Another passion is helping people.
Making Lives Bigger
Junior Allison Garstecki unearthed a key sandstone artifact, some 800 years old, during the final days of an archaeological expedition in which she and classmates participated.
The Total Package
As a little girl growing up in Florence, S.C., Martha Addison knew she wanted to be an aerospace engineer. When the time came to choose a college, Addison wanted a school that offered her everything she deserved.
A Fashionable Storyteller
Making actors comfortable on stage is a big part of senior Peyton Blankenship’s role as a costume designer in The University of Alabama’s theatre and dance department.
Proactive and Positive
A 65-year-old research study, an HBO documentary, and his own research have helped solidify Phillip Jordan’s life-long passion to aid inner-city African-American children with issues such as self-esteem and expectations.