Macon State College MVPs is a web feature that profiles notable students, alumni, faculty and staff.

Residence: Warner Robins.

High School: Houston County High School, class of 1999.

Family: Grandmother, Eva Winslette; parents: Tom Winslette and Debi Earwood; sisters, Kristy Vandewalker, Jen Winslette, Emily Winslette; brother, Ryan Earwood; niece, Sara; “my needy Rottweiler, Athena; and a gaggle of eclectic friends that are my second family.”

Current Employment: “I am a full time student, but a paying gig would be nice.”

Degree Objective: Bachelor of arts in history.

Class Rank: Senior.

Activities: “I am the current secretary of Macon State College's SGA, a Macon State ambassador, a member of the Academic Affairs standing committee, and a member, and former secretary, of the History Student Organization. I am a total overachiever.”

Career Goals: “I want to teach history at the high school and/or college level. I want to show people that history is not just something that has already happened, but a chain of human actions and emotions that can shed a great deal of light on current situations.”

She chose Macon State College because … “I wanted a great education. I decided to go back to school in spring of 2007 (after a five-year break) and Macon State College had a great reputation for academic excellence. Dr. Stephen Taylor was instrumental in this decision. He made a permanent impression on me in a world civilization class in 2002. His dedication to his students amazed and inspired me. After getting back into the swing of college, I found that Macon State not only met that standard, it far surpassed it. The amazing faculty at Macon State made all the difference for me.”

The one thing that surprised her about Macon State was … “The approachability of the faculty. The history department faculty and staff at Macon State are never too busy to help a student. Chad Dent and Debra Slagle are always there to help or just listen. The faculty is very dedicated to the success of students and has the best sense of humor. They not only make you think about your subjects, they make you think about being a better student. The standards they hold us to create an atmosphere of academic excellence that is tempered with humility and humor.”

Her favorite professor is … “The one reading this. Just kidding! I had a hard time narrowing it down. I really like and respect all of my professors. They all bring such different experiences and personalities to the classroom. It truly creates an awesome place to learn. Since I had to pick, I chose two: Dr. Andrew Manis and Dr. Jeffrey Burson. Dr. Manis reignited my passion for history. He is an amazing storyteller, to the point that you forget you are in class. His passion for teaching spurred the same interest in me. He inspires his students to think outside the box and know that there is more to history than facts on a page. Dr. Burson pushes his students to the brink of what they think they can do, and then proves that they could do more than they ever expected. The standard he held forced me to be a better student, a better historian, and (hopefully) a better teacher. To both of them, I will always be grateful.”

Her favorite place to study is … “On the bench in front of the Humanities/Social Sciences building, even though I do not actually get that much studying done there. Usually, I do my homework at my kitchen table. Yeah, I am a nerd.”

One thing people don’t know about her is … “I have a seriously sad obsession with ’80s and ’90s pop/rock music. I love everything from Pat Benatar and Billy Ocean to the New Kids on the Block and Living Colour. My current ringtone on my phone is Rick Astley's ‘Never Gonna Give You Up.’ I am also known to dance around my house with a wooden spoon singing along with music. Yes, I am that lame.”

Her friends make fun of her because … “I have almost no filter between my brain and my mouth; what I think usually comes tumbling out. Ok, the filter is like chicken wire, it will usually catch the big things, but not much else.”

The one person she’d most like to meet is … “Wow. No pressure! I would like to meet Dennis Leary. (Yeah, I know, you were expecting someone profound) Everyone needs to laugh as much as possible these days, and Leary makes me laugh so hard I cry. Life is too short to yearn for things lost and plan for things not yet possible, so in the meantime I just laugh."

Five years from now she sees herself … “Teaching at a local high school and getting ready to start my Ph.D. program. I also see myself as happy, because, after all, that is what is important.”