KENNESAW, Ga. | Dec 3, 2024
Following a monthlong nomination and review process, first-year student Julia Banks and her family were selected by DSA staff to be honored during Family Weekend. Julia was joined by her mother, Jennifer; father, Brandon; and siblings Brynn and Sawyer; in an on-field recognition Nov. 23 during Kennesaw State’s final home football game of the season.
Julia credits her parents as her primary source of inspiration. A 2007 KSU graduate, Jennifer held a then-toddler Julia during her commencement ceremony after completing her degree with honors. Her father, a Southern Polytechnic State University alumnus, and her siblings have also been steadfast supporters in her pursuit of a college degree.
Through the encouragement of her family, Julia has become deeply ingrained in the KSU culture. Beyond participating in campus events like Scrappy Hour as a member of FLIGHT 28, she is a KSU Journey Honors College student and belongs to the President’s Emerging Global Scholars (PEGS) cohort.
For Jennifer, showing Julia around campus felt like a full-circle moment. She experienced flashbacks to her senior year of college and watching Julia take some of her first steps around the Campus Green. From moving into the Austin Residential Complex on opening day to watching the Convocation Center slowly become part of the campus skyline, Jennifer has always felt that KSU was home.
“I’m honored that Julia was swayed by my enthusiasm about Kennesaw State, but she’s really blazing her own trail,” said Jennifer, who earned her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education.
A criminology minor, Julia is deeply interested in exploring the medicolegal side of forensic anthropology and pursuing her life’s mission of giving a voice to the victims of violent crimes.
“Often, skeletal remains are seen as ‘less human’ or ‘less important’ because they do not have the attributes of living people,” she said. “I refute that point. Skeletons are literally our framework. There’s nothing more human than that.”
“What stood out to me throughout this process were the heart-felt words our students shared about their families,” she said. “It was the deep appreciation from the students nominating their families that showed us they understood the goal of this initiative.”
Next year, Parent and Family Programs looks to expand participation in the program to share more personal stories of students during Family Weekend programming.
– Story by Travis Highfield
Photos provided
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