Thomas Bussey
Class of: 2009
Hometown and High School: Stone Mountain, GA; Stone Mountain High School
Major/Minor: Early Childhood Education
I chose to attend Georgia State University because when I came to the orientation it was so diverse! There are so many different types of people here it’s unbelievable. I knew it would be a great opportunity to meet a lot of new people. I also liked the fact that the dorms didn’t have communal restrooms.
Campus Activities and Organizations: 2006 Inceptor, 2007 Associate Director, Tour Guide, Intercultural Ambassador, Cultural Crossroads Facilitator, Volunteer for the Office of African American Student Services and Programs, Brothers' Keepers, Black Student Alliance-Promotions Chair
Most Memorable Georgia State experience: My most memorable experience at Georgia State was when I was an Inceptor and we went to the Southern Regional Orientation Workshop in Alabama. I had never had that much fun in my LIFE! It was a great experience and I met hundreds of people, some of whom I still talk to today.
If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be and why? If I could be a cartoon character, I would be YODA (FYI there is a new Star Wars cartoon). I would be Yoda because he’s very knowledgeable. As a tour guide, I LOVE answering questions, and if I were Yoda, I’d always know the answers! It would also be nice to live as long as he did and be able to move like he could.
Favorite Georgia State tradition: Panther Prowl. The last Friday of every month, there are events in the Student Center that are FREE!!! (A college student’s favorite word) There are always a lot of fun things to do, from watching a movie to having caricatures drawn, even playing laser tag! It’s a great way to meet new people, especially on a big campus like Georgia State's.
What advice would you give to incoming students? The best advice that I can give to incoming students is to get involved when they get to college. It wasn’t until after I started joining organizations on campus that I began to see why they say college is the best time of your life. That’s the best way to meet people and make new friends when you start at a new school.
After I graduate from Georgia State, I hope to come back to Georgia State to obtain my Master’s Degree in Administration. I also plan on teaching for Atlanta Public Schools.
