Class of 2027 Certified Scotties

Meet the newest class of Scotties!

Every year, we highlight a few members of the incoming class of students on the @ASCAdmission social media accounts through our Certified Scottie profiles. In this post, we’ll be giving you the stories as written, so you can find them all in one place!

It’s time to celebrate our favorite time of year: #CertifiedScottie time! We’re here from now until move-in day to introduce you to new students in the Agnes Scott Class of 2027. First up, we welcome Alice Pacheco Caballero (she/her/hers) from Ellenwood, GA!

If you’re trying to find Alice during the day, you might need to check the music room. Or the athletics fields. Or a local park. Or the hospital. Actually, it could be pretty difficult to find her because of her diverse interests and talents. You may find her playing her cello, as she has done for four years in her school orchestra. Or you could find her playing any of her many sports (track & field, soccer (futbol, she says) and tennis) with a team or practicing solo. You may also find her in a local park due to her deep love of nature.

Perhaps most importantly to Alice, however, you

may find her at Grady Memorial Hospital, where she spends her time as a volunteer in the Teen Experience Leadership program. It all began with her mother introducing her to the field of neurology as part of a career exploration, which led to a fascination with the human brain, enough so for her to write her college essay about it. “The brain is the world’s greatest mystery,” according to Alice, and she is interested in seeing those questions answered.

Her interest in the brain led to her volunteering position at Grady, where she shadowed and worked with the respiratory therapy team. Alice says this helped her “figure out a piece of who I am” and inspired her overall academic interest for the future in either nursing or the pre-medical track.

When speaking to the next generation of Future Scotties, Alice’s advice is to “think about where you truly see yourself in college,” regardless of what others might think. There were people in her life who wanted her to attend other institutions, but she chose Agnes Scott because “I saw myself attending Agnes and growing to become a leader.”

We are so excited to see the leader that @tired.perp will become on our campus and in the medical field. Welcome to #ASC27, Alice!

We’re just ONE MONTH away from new student move-in day, and thus it seems like a great day to meet another #CertifiedScottie. Everyone please give a warm Scottie welcome to Sadie Berg (she/her) from Muncie, IN!

When you hear Sadie say that she wants to major in neuroscience, she has the receipts to back it up. Throughout high school, Sadie had an extended internship at a neuroscience lab, working with a professor and college students on a research project on nerve regeneration following traumatic spinal cord injury. During her senior year, she was focused on exploring levels of sciatic nerve regeneration following a crush injury. “We looked at wild type mice and SARM1 knockout mice (mice who don’t have the gene that helps to regulate axon degeneration) and then quantified the amount of SCG10 protein, which is involved in neuron growth.” The field became a passion for Sadie after volunteering at a nursing home in her area. “I’ve always loved biology, and volunteering

there and connecting with residents who were suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia made me curious about the causes of these conditions and how we can work towards a cure.”

But never fear, like all Scotties, Sadie is multifaceted in her interests. She wants to join her neuroscience major with one in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. She’s also a prolific fiber artist: she’s been crocheting since she was eight (taught by her grandmother) and knitting for the last few years. She sees both the beauty of the art and the math of the fiber arts. She’s also a violinist, on the debate team, a tutor, and an international award winner for her work with the Future Problem Solvers competition.

Sadie is ready to start at Agnes Scott and be a part of our community. Agnes Scott was actually the first college she ever toured! “ I really liked it when I visited, and as I started going through the college application process my senior year and learned more about Agnes Scott, I realized that it was the perfect school for me. I was looking for a historically women’s college with a liberal arts model and a strong sense of community. Agnes checked all of those boxes! What made it stand out was the special opportunities within the SUMMIT program and the supportive network of faculty and students.”

For all you Future Scotties, Sadie gives this advice: “I think one of the things that was most helpful for me during the college application process was really taking time to determine what I wanted out of my college experience. Towards the beginning of the process, around the summer before my senior year, I was able to tour a couple different kinds of colleges, which I think was super helpful. I would recommend touring one really big state school, a smaller liberal arts college, and a medium-sized school.”

We cannot wait for this last month to hurry up so we can welcome @sadiecberg as a Scottie. Welcome to #ASC27, Sadie!

We think it’s time to introduce you to another our newest #CertifiedScottie students! Meet Yasmine Briscoe (she/her) from Atlanta, GA!

Yasmine may join Agnes Scott from close by (her high school, Drew Charter School, is right down the street from campus), but her background is international. She was born in Detroit, MI, and her family hails from Jamaica, a place where Yasmine spent significant time growing up. Her time in Jamaica inspired her love of nature after spending time learning about the native plants with her grandfather.

Like most Scotties, Yasmine’s interests are far and wide. She’s interested in multiple academic fields, including biology and anthropology. She also has a passion for fashion and photography, putting together her own outfits and looks to meet her personal style. Finally, she has a great love for tea

parties; she collects tea sets ranging from Indian to British makers, a love she inherited from her mother and grandmother.

Yasmine was inspired throughout high school by her devotion to the Islamic faith. “As a Muslim, I have felt encouraged to expand my education and to not stress over things. This has helped me throughout my high school career to do my best in the classroom but also to not let it take a negative toll on me.” Yasmine also feels that her time exploring different mosques has given her a broad cultural understanding that she will bring to Agnes Scott.

Yasmine’s advice to upcoming seniors is to take part in extracurricular activities you care about and to keep a portfolio of your best and favorite work. “Don’t be afraid to reach out to counselors, admission representatives or scholarship representatives.There is no such thing as a bad question.” (Side note: we totally agree!)

We are so excited to welcome Yasmine to campus and to #ASC27! We’ll see you soon.

Let’s welcome the first #CertifiedScottie of August, Natalie Bains from Huntington Beach, CA!

Natalie is our first highlighted student who will be joining the @ascscotties and @agnesscottsoftball. A long-time softball player who has played softball since she was eight and has been on travel softball teams since she was 12, Natalie is excited to immediately jump into contributing to the softball team and making new friends on and off the field.

It might seem incredible since being on a travel softball team can take up most of your time, but not for Natalie. She attended a performing arts high school with a focus on theater, performing in numerous musical theater roles. She also served on the student council for her school, which focused on mentoring younger students and middle school students as well as advertising for

the schools’ performances. When she wasn’t doing any of those incredibly time-consuming tasks, taking classes, or, you know, sleeping, she also was a member of her school’s GSA and co-president of the Ides of Mythology: Mythology Club. Also, did we mention that she was a Girl Scout who earned the Gold Award, the highest award available to Girl Scouts? Casual.

At Agnes Scott, Natalie is interested in majoring in psychology, though she’s still open to other fields and career paths. She wants to take the time to explore, which is one of the reasons why SUMMIT appealed to her. “SUMMIT is one of the main reasons I chose Agnes Scott; no other college I toured had anything like it.”

For all those high school seniors looking into colleges, Natalie advises checking out YouTube and video content about the college to see what students are saying about their day-to-day experience. She also recommends taking time to “have fun and enjoy your last year of high school! Yes, there’s a lot to get done, but don’t forget to take time to relax.”

We are READY to welcome @natalie_bains49 to campus and to @agnesscottsoftball. Welcome to #ASC27!

It’s your favorite time of day again: time to meet another #CertifiedScottie from #ASC27! Today, we’d like to introduce you to Ashlee Parkey (she/her) from Locust Grove, GA.

Often, when students tell us about themselves for their stories, they talk about something that inspired them in high school. Ashlee’s answer was enough to make us all cry: “I am proud of the positive example I left for my little brother. One of the things that motivated me most was making sure he knew that someone from our family, upbringing, and financial background could academically succeed at the same level as their classmates while balancing sports, social life, clubs, etc. He doesn’t know it, but any time I wanted to go the easy route, I thought about him and knew that I couldn’t; he had to know it was attainable.” We’re sure he knows thanks to you, Ashlee!

That balance was important for Ashlee; as the captain of the varsity volleyball team, member of the varsity soccer team, president of the National Arts Honors Society and member of the Mastery Band, she had a lot to juggle in high school!

Ashlee had a teacher inspire her to look into Agnes Scott, and then she was hooked. “Once I visited, the liveliness and positivity made the campus feel safe and like a place I could see myself thriving.” Ashlee is interested in psychology, sociology, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies for her goal of being a therapist for young children. “I am passionate about helping people, showing them that generational chains do not have to be permanent, and that mental health is important and impactful.”

In getting ready for Agnes Scott, Ashlee says she is “looking forward to the traditions, meeting people from all walks of life, and the lessons, character building, and relationships I’ll develop.” We can’t wait to have you on our campus, @unheatedbeans!

Buckle up, friends! It’s time for another #CertifiedScottie! We’d like to introduce you to Delaney Mawanda (she/her) from Frisco, TX!

Sometimes, you learn something when you are young that lights a fire within you and begins to plot out your course for the future. For Delaney, that was learning a tragic fact: In 2021, there maternal mortality rate in the United States was 32.9 per 100,000 live births, significantly more than any other industrialized nation. But beyond that, Black women are three times more likely to die in childbirth than any other group in the U.S. This was Delaney’s first experience with the idea of racial injustice in the American healthcare system, and it was a catalyst for everything she would do in high school. “Instead of becoming angry and hopeless, I used this as ammunition to make a change.”

She immediately jumped into making that change. By the end of her high school career, Delaney had earned both her CNA and Medical Assistant certifications, allowing her to gain “invaluable clinical knowledge and skills” while also furthering her resolve to continue her medical education. With an eventual goal of medical school with an eye toward obstetrics and gynecology, Delaney wants to make sure she takes broad classes in college. Pre-med is certainly on the docket, but she’s also interested in public health “so I can better learn how to care for those in marginalized communities.”

Beyond her interest in the medical field, Delaney is ready to jump into student life on campus. In high school, she held a part-time job while also volunteering as a greeter at her church and at a local hospital. She served as the secretary of the HOSA club, a member of the ASL club and as a student mentor. Fun fact: Delaney is also an accomplished painter and visual artist! A true liberal arts 👑.

We are very excited to welcome Delaney to our campus, and we can’t wait to see what she’ll bring to #ASC27 and to our community. Welcome, @xo.delaney!

Would you like to meet another of our amazing #CertifiedScottie students of #ASC27? It’s that time! Allow us to introduce you to Cadie Cooper (she/her) from Monroe, GA!

Cadie is a leader at heart; during high school, she earned her Girl Scouts Bronze Award, held a part-time job, was first chair cello in the orchestra and was a member of Archer Pride, Archer NHS, Archer Drama Club and the Women’s Rights Club. Beyond that, however, she was selected as a member of the Gwinnett Student Leadership Team, one of only three participants from her school. She put in hundreds of hours meeting with school representatives, GSLT students from all over Gwinnett County, and the county superintendent. “Through GSLT I met amazing people who taught me that I can use my voice to represent students and foster meaningful relationships between every member of my community.”

That’s a big deal for Cadie, who is interested in social justice law and investigative journalism. “My main goal in whatever I do is to help people in poor situations and bring awareness to inequities certain groups face.”

Part of that goal is in Cadie’s own journey: “For years I was challenged with being a young, closeted queer person in a rural Southern area. I struggled to reconcile what I was being told by people around me with the feelings I was having. I felt guilty for being who I was, so much so that it took me years after realizing I was bisexual to finally come out. That was the best decision of my life.”

Cadie found Agnes Scott through a long-held connection: her great-grandmother attended Agnes Scott! “I chose Agnes Scott because of how personal, inclusive, and success-inducing an environment it is. Whenever I talk to students or staff at Agnes, I feel that they truly see me for who I am and they are excited to have me at their school. ASC aligns with a quote I heard one time- the advice to “go where you are celebrated, not tolerated.” I feel so welcomed at Agnes as a woman, as a queer person, and as someone who is so excited to take the next steps in my education. I didn’t come close to feeling that acceptance at any other colleges I considered, so Agnes Scott was clearly the perfect choice for me.”

Cadie is ready to be on campus and to “meet all the talented, insightful, and inspiring classmates and peers at Agnes. It seems that everyone I meet from ASC just glows with a certain passion and intellect.” Right back at ya, @cadie.cooper. We can’t wait to have you on campus!

Everybody give a big cheer for our newest #CertifiedScottie, Ashima Khan (she/her)! Ashima is joining us from Columbus, GA, but she was born in Bangladesh- which is just the start of her story.

Ashima’s parents were both born in Bangladesh before moving to the United States. After getting married, they decided they wanted to adopt a child from their birth country, and that’s when they were introduced to then three-year-old Ashima. They adopted Ashima and brought her to the U.S. in 2008.

When Ashima was a baby, a traumatic accident meant her right leg was run over by a train, causing it to be amputated at the knee. Once in the U.S. and in Columbus, Ashima was able to get a prosthetic leg. She also put that leg through its paces: Ashima is an active gymnast and has been

participating in gymnastics since she was very young.

In addition to gymnastics, during high school she was the VP of the Art History Club, President of the Spanish Club, part of the Girls Engineering Mathematics and Science club, and part of multiple honors societies. In the future, Ashima is interested in getting her master’s degree in education and going into the education field.

Ashima was already primed and ready for Agnes Scott- her mom is an alumna! “Growing up I would always come and visit the campus with her. I love how small and cozy the campus was, and I love Atlanta in general, especially the Decatur area.”

We are so excited to welcome this trailblazer to #ASC27. Welcome, @ashima.mkhan! We can’t wait to see you soon.

We’re in the week of move-in day! As we lead up to #ASC27 move-in day and Legacy this Friday, we’re counting down some more #CertifiedScottie students! Today, we’d like to introduce you to Lizeth Flores (she/her) from Austin, TX!

If Lizeth looks familiar to you, you may have stumbled upon her YouTube channel, where she discusses her personal experience with PCOS, as well as ways to help others manage PCOS through free fitness classes and healthy recipes that she makes on film. She’s also a strong student leader, planning events like prom and fundraisers, all while working part-time jobs and taking care of her younger siblings. She’s a real wonder woman!

Lizeth also shares that one of her proudest high school accomplishments was being featured on Telemundo. “That opportunity allowed me to stop the self doubt that fogged my head and allow myself to realize that I have a story to share and that I am capable of sharing it and inspiring others.”

Lizeth is currently interested in politics, business management and nonprofit work. She’s most

focused on growing into being an advocate for others, especially other Latin women and those that grow up in lower economic circumstances. “I want to have my own business and show other girls that have had a rough upbringing that they aren’t bound to their surroundings; they can do better.”

What Lizeth found at Agnes Scott was something she was looking for due to her close relationship with her mother: a place where women support and look out for each other. “I knew that after four years of college it might be difficult for me to acquire a job in the political field as a woman and a minority. So when searching for the perfect college, I made sure that it would prepare me to tackle any discrimination I may encounter and provide hands-on experience in my field. When my counselor showed me Agnes Scott, it was love at first sight. Agnes stands for equity and a phenomenal education.”

In four short days, we’ll be able to welcome @1izethh to our campus. We can’t wait!

Three days to move-in and the start of Legacy, so we have another #CertifiedScottie of #ASC27 for you! Meet Rediet Kifle from Clarkston, GA, though she was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Usually, when profiling a student, we’ll end with advice they may have for Future Scotties. This time, however, we’re starting with it, because Rediet’s advice was so indicative of her own personality: “DON’T YOU DARE to think that failure is the opposite of your success because it’s always been a PART of your success.”

With advice like that, maybe it’s no surprise that Rediet tried everything and worked as a leader while in high school. She served as president of her school’s International Club, secretary of NHS, multiple leadership roles in Beta Club and sang in the chorus. She also served as an intern at Rollins School of Public Health and their Ethiopian and

Eritrean Mental Health Project. Finally, she applied to take summer courses with Ed-Justice University, and she now serves as a Press Associate for the Narrative and Journalism team of the Georgia Youth Coalition.

Rediet attributes most of her attitude to her background in Ethiopia (“Growing up in such a vibrant and diverse country has deeply influenced me and shaped my values and perspective on life”); going to all-girls schools growing up (“This environment provided me with a strong sense of sisterhood and empowerment”); and to her mother. As she so eloquently quoted in her application: “Every mother should be a true artist who knows how to weave into her child’s life images of grace and beauty, the true art capable of painting on the soul of naivety, the harmony of love and truth.”

Rediet is exploring multiple career paths, including public health, nursing, and pre-med. She is excited to get on campus this week and start her Agnes Scott journey. “What I am most looking forward to about Agnes Scott is the opportunity to be part of a community that celebrates and supports women. I am eager to engage in meaningful discussions, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and empower each other to reach our full potential. Additionally, I am excited about the wide range of resources and opportunities that Agnes Scott offers, including internships, research opportunities, and a strong network of alumni. Overall, I can’t wait to embrace the challenges and growth that Agnes Scott will provide as I pursue my academic and personal aspirations.” We can’t wait to have you on campus, @itss.romanjk!

We’re now only TWO days away from New Scottie Move-In, so it’s only right we meet another #CertifiedScottie. Welcome Anna Hanson (she/her) from Decatur, GA!

Anna wrote her admission essay about her passion for figuring out the “why” of things, to digging in and understanding the background and context of any problem. It’s one of the reasons the liberal arts appealed to her, as well as for her interest in sociology and political science (with an eye toward law school).

That interest can also be seen in her extra-curriculars. Anna has been a section leader and the president of trips and activities for her school’s

chorus, with which she performed at Carnegie Hall! She’s also participated in theatre and Spanish Club; held down part-time jobs as a babysitter and at Starbucks; and volunteered for the Stacey Abrams gubernatorial campaign.

Anna also brought forward and pushed for more comprehensive sexual education in her school system, presenting a thesis to her principal and other campus leaders. “I’m passionate about comprehensive sexual education because its worldwide lack contributes to gender violence, discrimination, abuse and disease.”

Anna is ready and excited to arrive at Agnes Scott. “As someone who cares deeply about social change, I feel Agnes Scott is the perfect place to grow as a leader and as an active member of my community, specifically through the SUMMIT experience. On the topic of community, diversity is incredibly important to me in deciding where to continue my educational journey, and Agnes Scott’s student body is far more diverse than many other colleges. Overall, I believe Agnes Scott will equip me well to thrive beyond my college years as I would be able to focus on honing my critical thinking skills and engaging in societal change.”

We can’t wait to see all you will do on campus and as a part of #ASC27, @annamaryhanson!

New Student Move-In is TOMORROW, so it’s time for our final #CertifiedScottie of #ASC27. Everyone give a warm welcome to Maya Copeland (she/her) from Atlanta, GA!

If you’re in Atlanta and you have younger siblings or kids, there’s a chance you may have heard Maya’s voice; Maya, along with her mother and her brother, created a program called Mindfulness Maya, a series of books and YouTube videos based on the ideas of mindfulness and social-emotional learning for kids. Maya voices the main character, “Mindfulness Maya,” and she took it a step further while in high school: “A big part of the IB curriculum is the completion of the Personal

Project in 10th grade. I decided to create an SEL (social emotional learning) curriculum for elementary school students. This was a great way to build upon the Mindfulness Maya initiative that I helped start with my mother and brother. I was able to make a website for us in order to house all of our free resources as well as the links to the childrens’ books that we had published.”

If you can imagine having free time while working on this program and achieving an IB diploma, Maya also served as president of her school’s GSA; gave tours as a student ambassador; had a part-time job; and was a teen staff member and writer for Vox ATL. These activities are of interest because of Maya’s dedication to helping others. “I believe that my experiences, both good and bad, have led me to live with a profound sense of empathy that I can’t possibly imagine moving through life without. “

As Maya takes steps onto Agnes Scott’s campus, she’s ready to reach out and make connections, as she has already been doing with students and alums on Discord and Instagram. “During the summer before my senior year, I went on a tour of Agnes Scott and absolutely fell in love with it. Seeing the campus and hearing all of the traditions and activities that went on at the school made me sure that it was somewhere that I wanted to be. Something that was very important to me when researching colleges was finding a space that was intentionally inclusive and felt like a safe place for someone like me. Agnes Scott definitely gave me that feeling from the tour to the moments that I spent talking to current students and alumni.”

@may.0h.may, we are so excited to welcome you and the rest of the ASC Class of 2027 to campus tomorrow! Congratulations to all our Certified Scotties and to all of our new students ready to greet the new year.

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