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For Daniel Sanchez,
being a “president” is all in a day’s work.
As the current President of several College clubs – Music,
History, and Pre-Health – Daniel is looking forward to an even
bigger presidency next fall when he will succeed Nathan Smith as
President of the Student Government Association (SGA).
So with all of his “Executive” experience, it’s no surprise that
the pre-veterinary student was invited to serve on the College’s
Presidential Search Committee, a 10-member group selected to
screen and scrutinize candidates vying for the position of
President of Dalton State. Sanchez, the student representative,
joined College administrators, faculty, staff and community
business leaders as members of the committee charged with
overseeing the campus’s role in selecting DSC’s fourth
president, who will succeed Dr. Jim Burran, who will retire in
December.
“Being on the Presidential Search Committee was an
overwhelmingly fun experience,” says Sanchez, aged 20. “As the
only student representative, it was really exciting knowing that
by serving on this committee I would be indirectly making a
difference in every student’s life.” |
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The committee was formed
in the spring, and Sanchez has been involved in attending
numerous on-campus meetings, traveling to the Atlanta airport to
interview perspective candidates, and attending interview
sessions on campus during the hectic two-week period of
candidate visits.
“I had to balance my responsibilities as a member of the
Presidential Search Committee with my academic life,” says
Sanchez. “For the two weeks that we had candidates on campus, I
had to wake up at 5 am and be on campus by 7:30 for the first
interviews. It was quite a task, but it was still a very
exciting experience.”
Sanchez admits that serving on such an important and prestigious
committee was an opportunity that would have never come his way,
or even crossed his mind, before enrolling at Dalton State. Born
in California, the son of El Savadoran immigrants, Sanchez moved
with his parents to Dalton in 2003 and graduated from Dalton
High School in 2005. While he did not become very involved in
activities at DHS, he jumped in with both feet at Dalton State.
“Over time, I learned that if I want to see something done, I’ll
take the initiative to do it myself, with the help of my club
members.”
While it has been said that “some have greatness thrust upon
them,” Sanchez has in many ways “sought out greatness” by
deliberately seeking positions of leadership on campus where he
could serve his fellow students and help those in the larger
community who are in need.
“I realized that the Veterinary Schools I plan to apply to place
a high value on leadership, community involvement, and being
‘well-rounded,’” admits Sanchez.
“When I arrived here, my first involvement with extracurricular
activities was to help create the Dalton State Chemistry
Society. I was one of this club’s founding members, and I became
Vice-President of the Club my freshman year.
“I also joined the Music Club and we sponsored two Benefit Shows
– one for the Humane Society of Northwest Georgia and one for
the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.”
Helping those who are in need has become part of Sanchez’s life
mission. And his desire to become a veterinarian fits in well
with that life goal.
“As a veterinarian, you get to help those who can’t tell you
what is wrong, those in need who don’t have a voice.”
Sanchez works as a Veterinary Technician on the weekends for a
Tennessee clinic, and he has had the opportunity to assist with
surgeries. His plan is to be able to perform surgeries on
animals in the future, particularly those who have cardiac
problems.
The creation of the new Bachelor of Science in Biology degree
saved Sanchez from having to transfer from Dalton State in order
to earn the right type of degree for Veterinary School.
“I was very happy to learn that Dalton State would be offering a
biology degree,” he says. “If this hadn’t happened, I probably
would be transferring next year to a school that had an
established degree in biology or in animal science.
“I really feel like you get a higher quality of education here
than you do in a big school where there may be hundreds of
students in your class.”
Sanchez says he and many of his Sequoya Hall buddies have
decided to stay at Dalton to pursue the biology degree.
“Dalton State is a really good deal. For the education we’re
receiving for what we’re paying, it’s hard to beat.”
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