Story Pitch: Who Is and Isn’t Attending UGA

With the magical live music scene, to the unwavering and committed football fans, Athens, GA has been a prominent part of so many people’s lives. The University of Georgia which is the institution that plays a role in the attraction to the city, is a public school where every student has a chance at becoming a success story. But the question still floats in the air of who are these students, and where do they come from?

UGA is home for approximately 38,000 students from all over the place, including international. For the students who are from Georgia, it is pretty rare to find many of them from Athens. Even though the city of Athens and UGA are very close in terms of proximity, there seems to be a large discrepancy between the residents of this city, and the university amongst them.

Most students who attend UGA are not from Athens, GA. It would be expected to see individuals who live in the city to apply and attend a prestigious college right next door. The reason this is not the case, can be rooted in a multiplicity of aspects. From low income, to race, to simply wanting to leave the bird’s nest, exploring who is and is not attending UGA is quite an interesting journey.

UGA student Abir Saberi is a journalism major from Marietta, GA. She explained her main reasoning for attending UGA was due to scholarship and a good journalism program. Like Saberi, many students chose to make UGA their home because of receiving a scholarship or grant of some sort. Saberi also expressed wanting to explore a home away from home, thus making the decision to move to Athens. Her point of view is similar to many other UGA students who value a different experience away from home.

Other students who attend UGA have another kind of perspective on the question of who does and does not attend the school. Mennah Abdelwahab is a student who is actually from Athens, GA. She discussed her two perspectives on being a native of Athens, as well as becoming a Georgia Bulldog. Abdelwahab grew up in Athens seeing her peers struggle not only financially, but academically as well. She believes that poverty and inequality are major factors that go into why we do not see many Athens residents come to UGA.

Even though we can touch base on facets that explain why students from Athens rarely attend UGA, it is a discussion that is way overdue. Students like Saberi and Abdelwahab are not different from most UGA students, in the sentiment of feeling lucky to have the privilege to attend this institution they can call home.