Category: Student Stories

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UA Ranked As Top Ten Military Friendly School

David Blair speaking at VA satellite Clinic openingThe University of Alabama has been ranked among the top ten Military Friendly® Schools for 2022-2023. Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation are evaluated using public data as well as surveys from participating institutions and input from student veterans. Over 1,800 institutions participate in this process, so earning a top ten spot is quite an accomplishment.

“We’re very proud of this distinction for UA,and I’m proud to serve alongside a team that cares so deeply about our student veterans,” said David Blair, director of the Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA) office on campus. “We’re here to serve the unique needs of our students who are veterans and help ease their transition into college life and help them reach their educational goals. It’s a personal mission of mine to always go above and beyond

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Memories From Tutwiler Hall: Karen Winston-Fox

Karen and Gwen inside Tutwiler Hall in the 1970sThe current Tutwiler was built in the year 1968 and has been serving women at UA for 54 years. To make way for a larger and more contemporary residence hall, it is scheduled for demolition on July 4, 2022. As a campus community, we commemorate the legacy of the historic building while awaiting the new and improved Tutwiler. To celebrate both events, we will be periodically featuring stories from past and current residents of Tutwiler Hall. Today’s memory is from Birmingham, AL native Karen Winston-Fox, who lived at Tutwiler from 1974-1976.

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UA Students Present White Paper at National Conference

The Division of Student Life at The University of Alabama works diligently to foster the health and wellness of students at the Capstone. Student Life also strives to provide students with opportunities to develop professionally, socially, and academically. One of the many ways both of these goals are served is the Student Advisory Council on Wellness.

Purpose of the Advisory Council

The Student Advisory Council on Wellness works alongside Dr. Ruperto “Toti” Perez, the Associate Vice President of Health and Well-Being at UA. These students meet each week and advise Dr. Perez on the needs of students they see in their respective areas of campus, and they work together to create positive social change in overall wellness on campus. Not only that, but they also publish an annual white paper that is presented

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Memories From Tutwiler Hall: Mary Bess Paluzzi

Tutwiler Hall in the 1970s

Located across from Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tutwiler Hall is one of the most iconic buildings on The University of Alabama’s campus. The original Tutwiler Hall was built in 1914 and was located where Rose Administration Building currently sits. The current Tutwiler was built in the year 1968 and has been serving women at UA for 54 years. To make way for a larger and more contemporary residence hall, it is scheduled for demolition on July 4, 2022. As a campus community, we commemorate the legacy of the historic building while awaiting the new and improved Tutwiler. To celebrate both events, in the coming months we will be featuring stories from past and current residents of Tutwiler Hall.

Mary Bess Paluzzi

Mary Bess Paluzzi, former Associate Dean for Special Collections for UA’s Libraries and resident of Aliceville, AL, was a student at UA when the current Tutwiler Hall was first opened. She lived in Parham East from 1967-1969, and in 1970 joined the student housing staff at Tutwiler.

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UA Students Go Beyond Bama: Serving in Memphis

In December 2021, a team of students from The University of Alabama traveled to Memphis, TN with the Center for Service and Leadership to serve local organizations in a Beyond Bama trip. It was the first time since December 2019 that CSL has been able to take students on these trips.Students who served in the Beyond Bama Memphis trip sit on a brick bench for a picture

Beyond Bama is a unique program that sends students around the United States and even the world to participate in service learning experiences during University holiday breaks. Zoë Winston, assistant director of the CSL, said, “One key element that sets Beyond Bama apart is that not only do students get to engage in intense and intentional service but they also have intentional reflection time to help connect what they are learning on their Beyond Bama trip to what they are learning in classes.”

“The goal of these trips is to engage students with the broader, global community,” she added. These trips are almost fully student led, with faculty and staff advisors who facilitate discussion and reflection times to maximize the student learning and leadership experience.

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UA Students and Partners Collaborate to Make Holiday Wishes Come True

At The University of Alabama, collaboration is key. Not only among students, staff, and faculty, but also with community partners who help make it the place Where Legends Are Made.

This December, alliantgroup, one of the Career Center’s Champions, partnered with two UA student organizations, the African Student Association and the Society of Human Resource Management, for a community outreach project to serve the Tuscaloosa Foster Care Program.

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Pike Brothers Start Local Organization: Greek Gives

Far too often, someone sees an opportunity to help but gives in to any number of excuses that keep them from making a difference. 

 I don’t know where to begin.  

I don’t have time.  

It’s not sustainable.  

 This give-in mentality is a foreign concept for two brothers of Pi Kappa Alpha, Gamma Alpha Chapter at UA. Brice Shafer noticed the amount of food that was being thrown away at fraternity houses and thought there had to be an opportunity to share their resources with those in need. When he noticed the waste in 2020, he tried to partner with the local Red Cross, but because of restrictions related to the pandemic, nothing came of his efforts.

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Turning Tide Mentorship Program

Students who mentor students – That’s the vision that the UA Student Government Association (SGA) and Madeline Martin, the Vice President for External Affairs has for the Turning Tide mentorship program.

Turning Tide allows SGA members to mentor local high school freshmen

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Meet Kailee Brands, a National Student Exchange Program Student

Kailee Brands got to study at UA through the National Student Exchange Program. She’s a junior double majoring in sports management and strategic communications, and her home campus is the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

See what she had to say about the program:

“I chose to do National Student Exchange because I have always wanted to travel and experience new places. NSE was an opportunity to do that without the large financial repercussions of similar programs like study abroad.

“This program has meant a lot to me – so much so that I decided to go on a second exchange to Hawaii in the Spring 2022 semester. It is a great way to really enrich yourself in a new place and learn their history. NSE exchanges are for a semester or a full year, so you really get the chance to explore everything while on exchange without feeling too rushed. This experience also showed me that I am capable of packing up everything and moving across the country for a job or anything else in the future and I will be able to handle the change!”

Are you interested in participating in the National Student Exchange Program so you can study at another college campus while earning credit toward your UA degree? Visit their website to learn more.

Sammy SAFE Box

When Pedro Reyes became philanthropy chair for Sigma Alpha Mu at The University of Alabama, he knew he wanted to empower his brothers to make a difference, but he had no idea he’d be executing a major collaboration of every Greek organization on campus to raise $9,000 and countless supplies to support the Tuscaloosa SAFE Center.

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