Neighbor
Born and raised in Milledgeville since 1990, Chelsey Scoggins has dedicated her time to servant leadership in the town she loves.
“I always wanted to work in Milledgeville because I think it’s so important that in some way, we bridge the gap between a college and the community. I think there’s a lot to learn from each other,” Scoggins said.
She recalls growing up in Milledgeville and having the privilege of watching the community grow and improve.
“I think the culture of Milledgeville has been solidified in a way," Scoggins said. "We have things that we didn’t really have when I was growing up, like First Friday.”
Scoggins attended Baldwin County Schools until she graduated and decided to continue her education just down the road at the University of Georgia.
“I wanted to see what life was like outside of Milledgeville, so that’s what spurred me to leave. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to help people," Scoggins said.
After earning her undergraduate degree in English, Scoggins moved back home to pursue a master’s degree in public administration at Georgia College & State University (GCSU).
“After moving back to Milledgeville and starting my MPA, I had the opportunity to supervise and mentor students where I worked at parking and transportation,” Scoggins said. “That was kind of the turning point because they were so funny and interesting, and they viewed the world in a different way than I did. I wanted to be a part of nurturing that.”
Scoggins currently works at the Office of Leadership Programs at GCSU in Milledgeville. She credits her position and her commitment to leadership to her mentor.
“When I was in college at UGA I worked at a frozen yogurt shop. The owner, Mr. Ricky Steele, was the person who introduced me to the idea of servant leadership," Scoggins said. "I think if it had not been for him, a lot of things in my life would have looked very different…because he planted that seed about 10 years ago and that’s brought me to where I am today.”
Scoggins is now engaged to Troy Brantley and has plans to stay in Milledgeville for the foreseeable future. She has a strong passion to continue serving her community through leadership.
“I’m new to the Office of Leadership, so I plan on staying here for a while… I want to continue to get more involved in the community and continue my volunteer work as a chamber ambassador, which I enjoy," Scoggins said.