If you've taken a tour of UGA recently, you might recognize these two beauties! Sehar and Shreya are involved with one of the most sought after positions on campus as tour leaders at the UGA Visitors Center. Hot or cold, rain or shine (and in Georgia you know how that goes) our girls thrive in telling the story behind this amazing place that we all know and love!
Major-
Sehar: Genetics
Shreya: Economics and Statistics
Favorite spot on campus?
Sehar: Myers Quad
Shreya: 1st floor of the Main Library
Tell us about your favorite place to eat in Athens.
Sehar: Clocked burger joint. It has the most unexpected, yet satisfying burgers I have ever tasted. From peanut butter sauce to a falafel patty, each burger has its own signature flavor!
Shreya: Heirloom Cafe. My favorite meal there is brunch because they make their own jam and give you an unlimited amount of chocolate chip scones (insert heart-eyed emoji here).
Why did you want to get involved as a tour leader at the UGA Visitors Center?
Sehar: I wanted to be a tour leader because although coming to UGA was the scariest thing I’ve ever done, it has also been the most rewarding. I wanted to share my experiences with incoming college freshmen so that they knew that it was okay to be nervous, but that it was also important to step out of their comfort zones. UGA has become my home away from home and I really just wanted to spread that love!
Shreya: I chose to apply to work at the Visitors Center because I want to help prospective college students realize that, regardless of the school they ultimately choose, they should be able to see themselves making a campus their home for four years and longer. As we always love to say at the VC, “It is easy to make a big school small, but hard to make a small school any bigger than it already is." I want students to know that there is a place for everyone at the University of Georgia.
What has your experience been like so far as a tour leader?
Sehar: I have loved every second of it. It honestly doesn’t even feel like a job because I get to talk about everything that I’m passionate about.
Shreya: Working as a tour leader has taught me to get comfortable being uncomfortable while interacting with personalities different from my own. It has also challenged me to maintain my poise in unexpected situations like leading a walking tour in freezing rain, filling awkward silences with even more awkward jokes, and assuring flustered parents that their child will not be rejected from UGA because they were late to a campus tour.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out at UGA?
Sehar: Don’t be afraid to break out of your shell and do something new! If you want to eat a peanut butter, chocolate chip waffle with lucky charms and ice cream on top at the dining hall, no one is stopping you!
Shreya: Walk everywhere. It's a great way to explore campus and Athens as well as justify taking full advantage of UGA's incredible, unlimited meal plan.
What is your favorite memory in being a part of Alpha Chi Omega?
Sehar: This past year, I had the opportunity to live in the house and I can honestly say that it was the best decision I have ever made. There were so many times when I walked into my room to find five girls already sitting on my floor welcoming me, or finding random treats on my pillows with awkward notes from a “secret admirer” (Arden, I know it was you). I grew so much just by living next to these girls and it’s all because I made a decision my freshman year to go AXO.
Shreya: My favorite memory as member of Alpha Chi Omega is from Big-Little Reveal. Being able to call one of my mentors and closest friends, Alex Lilly, my big helped me feel more connected to the sorority early on in my freshman year.
Why Alpha Chi?
Sehar: I chose Alpha Chi because we are original and we are so diverse. I never imagined myself being best friends with girls who are so different from me. But the truth is that those differences ignited the growth in myself that I would have never found anywhere else. Like I said before, I was so intimidated to come to UGA. Alpha Chi gave me a home to flourish in and the support I needed to get out of my comfort zone.
Shreya: AXO’s are plugged in everywhere on campus – as board members of student organizations, academic scholars, community outreach leaders, etc. These “real strong women” are making an impact on the UGA community and on people’s lives. It makes me proud to be an Alpha Chi when I see them pursuing their goals with a fan club of sisters cheering them on.