Why did you decide to run for homecoming court?
I was on homecoming court my sophomore year. I was encouraged by one of my friends who was a senior at the time to apply for it. It ended up being one of the greatest experiences that I had at LSU. It’s one thing to be in the stands of Tiger Stadium, but to actually walk down the midfield during halftime surrounded by 100,000 of your closest friends is just an amazing experience. I’m a big fan of tradition, and it’s a way to have a living tradition on campus because even though our football team isn’t as old as our university is, I enjoy the fact that here at LSU we have such rich traditions. We honor our past, but we also look forward to our future and being on homecoming court in my opinion is one of the ways that sums up the experience of being an LSU Tiger. Ever since I got here, I was very interested in being active on campus, really getting involved, I joined a fraternity in Greek Life, I got involved in Student Government with Senate, so for me it’s really just a culmination of my own achievements at LSU and being a part of its living tradition.
What makes LSU special to you?
Definitely the community on campus here. We have such a wide variety of people that live on campus and in Baton Rouge. So for me, coming from Houma, Louisiana– which is only about an hour-and-a-half, two hours away — I wanted something that was close to home but still something where my parents couldn’t drop in and surprise me for a visit. LSU has the feeling of my hometown yet so much more, and it’s really the community that adds to it.
What has your LSU experience been like?
My LSU experience has been great. As soon as I got on campus, I made some of my greatest friends going through Rush and now those are the guys I’m lucky to call my brothers to this day. On top of that, meeting people through various organizations outside of Greek Life and classes, has really just been outstanding. I’ve made friends that I’ve traveled the world with — I went on trips to Africa and Europe with them and really met some quality people who I know are going to be a part of my life after I get my diploma.
What is your favorite LSU memory?
My favorite LSU memory would probably have to be freshman year — the South Carolina-LSU football game that was home. I had never been to an LSU football game before becoming a student here, and it was one of the first games that was very nail-biting. LSU won, but it was back and forth — we would score a touchdown, they would score a touchdown. It was just the atmosphere of Tiger Stadium after every touchdown — the crowd, the energy, the water bottles flying into the air, the camaraderie — it was the first experience I had that was eye-opening that meant, “This is what it’s like to be at LSU. This is the passion that the students have.”
What do you hope to give back to the campus community?
I definitely want to be one of the students who graduates from LSU, goes and starts his career, but comes back to Louisiana. A lot of my peers don’t want anything to do with Louisiana after they graduate, but for me, I really want to come back. My eventual goal is something in the medical field, so hopefully after I’m done with my residency I can come back to Louisiana, maybe even Baton Rouge, practice here, really be a part of the community and give back through my adult career.
Why did you decide to come to LSU?
I was going to Penn State…I got in, was really excited to go there, and that’s when all the Sandusky-Penn State stuff was happening. LSU was my backup, but I absolutely love it here. It’s great. LSU wasn’t my first choice, but because of that scandal … it was pretty bad. But I love LSU because I get to be close to home.
What’s your favorite class?
My favorite class just happens to be one that I’m in right now — it’s Ichthyology, which is the study of fish. The professor is Dr. Prosanta Chakrabarty…it’s an upper-level senior biology course. What’s really great about the College of Science is that when you get to your junior and senior year, you’ve already taken all the labs … so now you have what I consider to be the fun ones. Though it may seem kind of boring, it’s actually incredibly fun. The highlight of the course is that there are several field trips on it. For instance, yesterday was my 22nd birthday and we spent the day fishing in Lake Ponchartrain, collecting fish samples that we brought back to the lab and DID DNA-Genome sequencing on them and identification. It’s an excuse to learn about fish and then spend a Monday fishing every two weeks.
What’s your favorite tailgate food?
With the cold snap that we just had, there’s nothing better than a big pot of gumbo … probably made by one of my friends’ moms.
Who’s your favorite LSU athlete?
Lloimincia Hall, just because of her floor routine against Alabama last year when she got the perfect score. I got to meet her last year at Dance Marathon, which was pretty cool. I’m a really big fan of the gymnastics team here on campus. Although I appreciate Leonard Fournette and what he’s doing this year, I really like to see other students as well and the athletic diversity that we have on campus.
What’s your favorite sport?
My favorite sport to watch would be football, but to play would be tennis.