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Outstanding Alumna Whitaker Scholarship for Georgia Academy students
which creates opportunities for elite students to gain
a quality education at a young age. If someone had
not believed in and supported me, I would not have
been able to attend the Academy. Give back, not only
with monetary support, but with your time. Stay
involved with activities, support our athletic teams,
and allow others the opportunity that you had.

Kaitlin P. Hinson, Class of 2010 Are you actively involved in the community?
I am Board Chair for Next Level Community Devel-
Attorney, Cansino Law Firm, LLC opment Center, an afterschool and summer program
for at-risk children. I also serve on the Board of
Tell us about your time at Middle Georgia State. Directors for Sunrise Ministries and volunteer with
When I was in the Georgia Academy* at MGA, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and
I enjoyed staying involved by serving on several stay involved with our local community.
committees, participating in campus activities and
cheering on the softball, baseball, basketball, and
soccer teams. I really enjoyed planning the prom for
Georgia Academy students so we could still have a
traditional high school experience. My most
memorable experiences at MGA came through my
work at the Academic Resource Center as a tutor. I
am thankful that I was able to help other students
succeed so they could also become alums alongside
me. This job allowed me to connect with many
students who I would not have met otherwise.

What were some of the lessons you learned? Linda J. Mackey, Class of 2011
Although we were in the same classes as other
students, everyone could pick out the Georgia Director of Quality Assurance and Improvement,
Academy students from the traditional college Wesley Woods
students. During my time at MGA, I learned to
embrace standing out. Embrace yourself, stand out, How well did MGA prepare you for your career?
and give others a reason to remember you. When I began to work in the healthcare field I
found the education was a huge help. The classes
Do you continue to stay engaged with MGA? were all very useful and the knowledge I had gained
Yes. I have served on the MGA Alumni Associa- was immediately beneficial. I never would have
tion Board since 2016 and currently serve as the gotten the jobs I had or been prepared for the work
vice chair. I made a gift to help establish the Lisa without my degree from Middle Georgia State.

*The Georgia Academy of Arts, Mathematics, Engineering, and Sciences is an exclusive two-year dual-enrollment

residential program that allows high school students the opportunity to simultaneously earn a high school
diploma from their home high school as well as an associate’s degree from Middle Georgia State University.
Learn more at www.mga.edu/georgia-academy.

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