Baldwin County’s Aniyah Veal was named to the Dean’s List at Georgia State University in Atlanta for the summer semester. Students with a minimum Georgia State cumulative GPA of 2.00 must earn a 3.50 GPA for the semester and complete at least six semester hours of academic credit with no incompletes to be considered for the Dean’s List.
Veal is currently seeking an Associate of Arts Degree in Psychology, while waiting for the dental hygienist program to open at Georgia State University.
“I want to be a dental hygienist, but psychology has always been another interest of mine,” said Veal. “While waiting for the program, I wanted to open more doors for my future and receive my associates degree.”
Veal is from the Harrisburg community and graduated from Wilkinson County High School. She believes growing up in the Milledgeville community led her to want a secondary education and to explore more than one career path.
“Being raised in a college town showed me how important an education is. It drove me to want to learn as much as I can to have options available to me,” said Veal. “My mom, Selena, has also been my biggest supporter. She pushes me every day to keep going and pursue my dreams.”
Veal is one of the first people in her family to attend college and aims to receive her associate’s degree and bachelor’s degree in psychology, while also gaining certification to be a dental hygienist.
“Mental health is a common issue where I grew up and I think it can be beneficial to my community to offer more support. While my dream is to become a traveling dental hygienist, if I use my psychology degree I would prefer to establish a clinic or work at one in Baldwin County to support the community that raised me,” said Veal.
“And if I do not pursue a career in psychology, my skills can still be used to support those I care about. It opens doors for me either way.”
When asked why she would prefer to travel if she pursues becoming a dental hygienist, Veal stated she researched the benefits to traveling or remaining stationary and determined there are more benefits to travel.
“It would allow me to make more money, allow me to support more communities, and give me more opportunities of growth,” said Veal.
For this school year, Veal aims to make all A’s and support her fellow classmates by volunteering. She is also looking at potential internships related to her degree.