On the phone with Ashley Stirgus, a senior Chemistry major at Clark Atlanta University

Favorite color:
Purple, because it can be soft and I have never seen a bad shade of purple yet.

Favorite food:
Rice and gravy

Favorite song right now:
When I am down I always go back to Kirk Franklins "He Loves Me."

Why did you choose Chemistry as your major?
I wanted to go into dentistry at first and you need to graduate in a science to do so. I could have changed my major once I saw how difficult it was, but I have a love for it now. I have not completely canceled out dental, though. I love doing the research and I see doing this beyond going to dental school.

Why did you choose Clark Atlanta University?
I knew I wanted to attend a Historical Black College/University (HBCU) and Cark Atlanta is the best research HBCU so it was high on my list because I wanted to be a science major.

Biggest academic hurdle:
It can be hard sometimes to take classes and be successful as well as having a social life. Becoming a true student you do have to give up one part of your life. It is hard to have much of a social life when you are pushing to get good grades. I have noticed this semester that I have been very tired being in the science program and chemistry club and you would think my grades would drop, but my GPA is the highest this semester than it has ever been.

Biggest spiritual hurdle:
If you do not have the desire to go to church for yourself when you leave home, then you can just give it up. You have to be grounded in God before you go away in order to stay grounded in Him. If you do not stay grounded, you can fall fast and hard. I have had to fight very hard in this area because I am so busy, but I know how vital it is.

How have you grown spiritually while you are in college:
When you come out here, it will make or break your spiritual life. There are some things that will happen out here where you can't call on mommy and daddy, you learn that you have to call in His (Jesus) name. When you are rooted and grounded in Him, there are some things that you can only thank Him for happening to you. I mean, at home, I was used to having money. This was the first time in my life I had to worry about bills being paid and Gods making it happen. God is too good for you not to really give Him the praise. Either you are going to give Him His praise or you are just going to take credit for everything.

What has been the greatest testimony of God's glory while in college?
Every semester before this I have been able to lean on my parents to help pay my rent and car note. This semester things have fallen on me a little more. I came back to school in August not knowing that my previous months rent was not paid and my car note and other bills were about to get behind too. This was a big wake up call for me. I had to take care of my own bills and make it happen. Now normally, I would panic about it, and I did, but I later settled down and just prayed about it and depended on God to help me. Well, God blessed me to be a part of the HBCU "UP" program, but I was sent a letter telling me that I was removed from the program along with everyone who participated the year before. So, I went to the chairman of the program and laid out all my expenses and let him know what I needed in order for me to financially survive while I am here, although my school is paid for, these are my expenses and I need to find a way to pay these bills or I am going home. Well, he let me know that he would see what he can do and God blessed me to get back into the HBCU "UP" program and he was able to get me a scholarship and signed me up to be a tutor and I now have work study. Although this is a lot to keep up with, it keeps me on track and I am able to cover all of my expenses. I was also able to help my sister out a little bit. God truly worked a wonder for me!

What have you enjoyed most about college?
I enjoy getting good grades. Actually seeing my report card at the end of each semester because of all of the research, it can get boring sometimes, but it is so good to step back when you are done and say, "I did that." I love that sooo much! And sometimes my work actually gets published. It is so rewarding after you have worked so hard. I also love how the school sends me to different conferences to compete and they pay for everything! I mean you get to go to different places for free so why not take advantage of it. I have been to Washington DC and Wisconsin and presented my results from my research and I will be going to Sacramento in November to present the work I did last semester, so it's nice.

What are some of the major goals you have after college?
One is to show everybody back home that you can actually make it out of college being saved. I am an advocate for students who desire to go away to college. I recognize that it is not for everyone, though. I would actually like to talk to others about going away to college because I know it is a big concern for people at PHG. I also plan to go to grad school, of course. Life after college seems so for away because I will be in school for a while.

Advice do you have for graduating high school students?
Whether you are going away or staying at home, don't play around in your high school years. College is very important, especially in the economy that we live in. I mean a bachelors degree is almost the equivalent of a high school diploma nowadays. Don't play around when you are getting your high school diploma so when you actually taking the test to go to college you do well. Don't turn away from junior colleges. I went to one before I went away and I saved a lot of money... a lot of money. I didn't have loans for the first two years of my college career. And of course, keep God first and let Him order your steps.