Kylee Smith Video Transcript
Interviewer] Welcome to the University of North Georgia Political Science & International Affairs Department's YouTube channel. In the coming minutes you'll get to meet one of 正澳门六合彩开奖结果's most decorated athletes, including being named the 2018 NCAA Division 2 National Fast Pitch Softball Player of the Year, our very own International Affairs alumni, Kylee Smith, More recently in June 2020 and again in 2021, Kylee was named an Academic All-American of the Year for Division 2 Softball and was also named to the Academic All-America first team both years. We caught up with Kylee at the conclusion of the 2021 softball season, where she helped the Nighthawks to a 43 and 8 overall record and a third-place finish at the Division 2 softball National Championship Tournament.
Good afternoon, Kylee. and a belated congratulations on your graduation and your exceptional Nighthawks career and the national recognition you have garnered over the years. To start us off, would you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
[Kylee Smith] I am Kylee Smith. I graduated from North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. I then went to North Georgia to pursue an undergraduate degree in International Affairs, and I graduated with that degree in the summer of 2020. And I am currently pursuing my Masters in Business Administration, also, at North Georgia.
[Interviewer] How would you sum up your past season?
[Kylee] There's honestly no words for the past season. It was, it was a great final note for my softball career here at North Georgia, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Getting to end it at the World Series was quite the experience.
[Interviewer] Let's turn now to your academic career. Going back to the beginning, what got you into International Affairs as an undergrad? Why did you choose an International Affairs degree first off? And perhaps most importantly, why here at North Georgia?
[Kylee] Well, I chose North Georgia mainly because of softball, because I knew I wanted to continue my softball career into college. So, I was offered a scholarship by Coach Davenport. And once I got here, I was kind of like everyone else. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do, but I had ideas of what I was interested in. And so, I followed those − my interests. They led me to international affairs, and I fell in love with the classes and the information that you learned.
[Interviewer] An integral part of the IA major is the study abroad program. Can you tell us a little about your experiences?
[Kylee] I studied abroad in Paris in the summer of 2019. My concentration for my IA degree was Europe, so it was a no-brainer to study abroad somewhere in Europe. I had always been fascinated by France. I had been studying French in high school and throughout college, so when the opportunity came that I could study abroad in Paris that was, it was a no-brainer for me. That's what I chose.
[Interviewer] Looking back, what did that time in France do for Kylee Smith?
[Kylee] For me as a person, it definitely helped me grow just within my personal self and become more of an adult and the person I want to be. School-wise, it definitely showed me that I think I'm on the right path and that's definitely what I want to pursue.
Getting to travel abroad and be by yourself, study in a different country where you don't know anybody, and really find yourself, find what you're passionate about, and kind of confirm that what I wanted to study was really what I want to do.
[Interviewer] You are now pursuing your MBA degree on our Gainesville campus. How do you see those two degrees -- an MBA with a background in International Affairs -- intersecting, both now, but especially as you look forward towards your future?
[Kylee] Well, when I was trying to decide what I wanted to go to grad school for, all of my advisors, my family, anybody that I had talked to or consulted with, basically told me MBA was the safest route, considering I wasn't entirely sure at that time, because it would help me move up within companies. It would, kind of in a sense, help me move up the ladder. So, that's why I started it. And I'm thoroughly enjoying my Master's program. I think the business aspect is very cool. It's very different than my undergrad when I studied IA, but I'm enjoying it. And again, I look forward to the opportunities it will create for me.
[Interviewer] You quite obviously were successful as both a 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 athlete and as a poli-sci major. How did you balance your academic workload with your competition schedule, especially as an undergrad? And was there anything different as you continued as a student-athlete this past year as a graduate student?
[Kylee] I think for not only a student-athlete but any, any person in college, I think your number one thing is time management and figuring out your time management skills. With all of the workload that, that comes with the classes, as well as, in my situation being a student-athlete, I really had to figure out how to manage my time in order to get everything done. And one of those helpful tools was online classes. So with traveling so much with softball, online classes were a great help because I did not have to miss class.
And for my MBA, it's, it's been about the same. It's a little different. I have to, I've had to leave practice early a couple of times because my classes were at night. But overall, I would say time management is the main key.
[Interviewer] In closing, what do you have to say to our viewers who are either prospective students or former students, both at the undergraduate and /or the graduate level?
[Kylee] I think if you are looking to come North Georgia, you definitely should. It is a great atmosphere. The school itself is just in a cute little town, it's great to be there. From an athletic standpoint, I, everybody that I've worked with in the Athletic Department -- Amazing!
From an academic standpoint -- all of my professors were incredibly helpful. They worked with me on any of my scheduling conflicts for softball. They were super helpful. They were willing to work with you in office hours if you couldn't make it. So, everyone here is, it's just a great atmosphere. So, I would, I would definitely recommend it.
[Interviewer] Well, thank you for your time, Kylee, and all the best in your academic and your professional endeavors.
Good afternoon, Kylee. and a belated congratulations on your graduation and your exceptional Nighthawks career and the national recognition you have garnered over the years. To start us off, would you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
[Kylee Smith] I am Kylee Smith. I graduated from North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. I then went to North Georgia to pursue an undergraduate degree in International Affairs, and I graduated with that degree in the summer of 2020. And I am currently pursuing my Masters in Business Administration, also, at North Georgia.
[Interviewer] How would you sum up your past season?
[Kylee] There's honestly no words for the past season. It was, it was a great final note for my softball career here at North Georgia, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Getting to end it at the World Series was quite the experience.
[Interviewer] Let's turn now to your academic career. Going back to the beginning, what got you into International Affairs as an undergrad? Why did you choose an International Affairs degree first off? And perhaps most importantly, why here at North Georgia?
[Kylee] Well, I chose North Georgia mainly because of softball, because I knew I wanted to continue my softball career into college. So, I was offered a scholarship by Coach Davenport. And once I got here, I was kind of like everyone else. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do, but I had ideas of what I was interested in. And so, I followed those − my interests. They led me to international affairs, and I fell in love with the classes and the information that you learned.
[Interviewer] An integral part of the IA major is the study abroad program. Can you tell us a little about your experiences?
[Kylee] I studied abroad in Paris in the summer of 2019. My concentration for my IA degree was Europe, so it was a no-brainer to study abroad somewhere in Europe. I had always been fascinated by France. I had been studying French in high school and throughout college, so when the opportunity came that I could study abroad in Paris that was, it was a no-brainer for me. That's what I chose.
[Interviewer] Looking back, what did that time in France do for Kylee Smith?
[Kylee] For me as a person, it definitely helped me grow just within my personal self and become more of an adult and the person I want to be. School-wise, it definitely showed me that I think I'm on the right path and that's definitely what I want to pursue.
Getting to travel abroad and be by yourself, study in a different country where you don't know anybody, and really find yourself, find what you're passionate about, and kind of confirm that what I wanted to study was really what I want to do.
[Interviewer] You are now pursuing your MBA degree on our Gainesville campus. How do you see those two degrees -- an MBA with a background in International Affairs -- intersecting, both now, but especially as you look forward towards your future?
[Kylee] Well, when I was trying to decide what I wanted to go to grad school for, all of my advisors, my family, anybody that I had talked to or consulted with, basically told me MBA was the safest route, considering I wasn't entirely sure at that time, because it would help me move up within companies. It would, kind of in a sense, help me move up the ladder. So, that's why I started it. And I'm thoroughly enjoying my Master's program. I think the business aspect is very cool. It's very different than my undergrad when I studied IA, but I'm enjoying it. And again, I look forward to the opportunities it will create for me.
[Interviewer] You quite obviously were successful as both a 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 athlete and as a poli-sci major. How did you balance your academic workload with your competition schedule, especially as an undergrad? And was there anything different as you continued as a student-athlete this past year as a graduate student?
[Kylee] I think for not only a student-athlete but any, any person in college, I think your number one thing is time management and figuring out your time management skills. With all of the workload that, that comes with the classes, as well as, in my situation being a student-athlete, I really had to figure out how to manage my time in order to get everything done. And one of those helpful tools was online classes. So with traveling so much with softball, online classes were a great help because I did not have to miss class.
And for my MBA, it's, it's been about the same. It's a little different. I have to, I've had to leave practice early a couple of times because my classes were at night. But overall, I would say time management is the main key.
[Interviewer] In closing, what do you have to say to our viewers who are either prospective students or former students, both at the undergraduate and /or the graduate level?
[Kylee] I think if you are looking to come North Georgia, you definitely should. It is a great atmosphere. The school itself is just in a cute little town, it's great to be there. From an athletic standpoint, I, everybody that I've worked with in the Athletic Department -- Amazing!
From an academic standpoint -- all of my professors were incredibly helpful. They worked with me on any of my scheduling conflicts for softball. They were super helpful. They were willing to work with you in office hours if you couldn't make it. So, everyone here is, it's just a great atmosphere. So, I would, I would definitely recommend it.
[Interviewer] Well, thank you for your time, Kylee, and all the best in your academic and your professional endeavors.