Senior spotlight: Ashlyn Conner
Photo taken by the author.
Treasure Hardwick, Staff Writer
For many college students, the hardest part of it all is adjusting to the fast-pace, demanding schedules of university life. With grueling college classes, extracurricular activities and friendships, time management may feel like a nightmare. Add college-level sports into the mix and you are looking at a real challenge.
Although the demands of college life are strenuous, Ashlyn Conner has used her four years at NGU to prove that drive and perseverance allows a student to achieve anything they set their mind to. She has mastered the art of time management, and if anyone knows how to do college well, it is Conner.
She is a biology major with a minor in Spanish. When she heard about NGU and became particularly interested in its volleyball team, she made the eight-hour trek from her hometown in Dothan, Alabama to the mountains of Tigerville.
Conner has excelled in her academic and athletic endeavors at NGU. She has been able to thrive in her classes, all while tutoring other students. She has been able to aid students in several subjects such as intro biology, comparative biology, chemistry, spanish and mathematics. She enjoys helping students, while also using her time as a tutor to nail down knowledge from her own classes.
Furthermore, Conner has spent all four years of her college career on the volleyball team, where she filled the role of setter. She spent countless evenings practicing the sport, playing the game and then rushing home to complete assignments or study for tests.
You may be curious as to how Conner had the time to achieve so much, “I’ve always kind of been used to being busy, and that makes me pretty efficient when I am working, and so I came to college used to it,” she said.
Her best time management advice is to “have a calendar and stay really, really organized.”
“I pull out my calendar about 20 times a day, just to make sure I’m on track with my goals and the things I need to do,” she said.
She also encouraged students to stay on top of their homework and know when things are due, “You have to keep yourself from procrastinating,” she said.
She has soared academically and athletically; all while being involved in campus life. She has participated NGU’s “big and little program” all throughout her college career. She was a “little” her freshman year. She took the lessons she learned in that season of her life and used them to encourage students who would come after her.
She was a “big” her sophomore and junior year and is still currently mentoring freshman girls. She has enjoyed pouring into younger ladies and walking along side of them as they adjust to college life.
Her best advice to younger college students is to stay involved and put yourself out there. “Don’t be afraid to go to an event, even if you don’t know anybody, and don’t be afraid to put yourself in a position to be social,” she said. She explained on several occasions she even went to events alone and met new friends.
Her favorite memory at NGU is the times that she went on intentional walks with her friends. She explained that every February they set a mile mark that they will walk. Every year they increase that number. The largest number of miles they walked in one month is 90.
She is currently enjoying her last semester at NGU and taking in every moment. She will graduate with the class of 2024 in May.
Conner’s next endeavor is attending medical school at the University of South Alabama. She plans to become a doctor. She will begin her new classes in July and is excited for what the next four years have to offer.
