Sydnee Coggins

Achieving balance through academics

Griffin, Georgia, native Sydnee Coggins found Columbus State's degree programs flexible enough for her to pursue both her academic interest in biology and her passion and 17-year investment in classical ballet. And, she dispels the fact that you must cater to just one side of the brain to be "creative to the core."

"I recently learned in class that no person is right-brained or left-brained," says the senior majoring in biology and minoring in dance. "Being creative requires you to have both a spontaneous nature and an analytical one. You need one to do the other. Balance is something I live by, and metabolically speaking, so do our bodies."

As excited as Coggins is about her studies and dance, living on campus is what she looked forward to the most when she arrived at CSU.

Experiencing an on-campus version of "American Ninja Warrior" is just one of the ways through which she's made new friends and bonded with roommate - welcomed opportunities for someone who admittedly "stays to myself and feared the same would happen [at CSU]... I love the new friends that I have made here and I will never forget them."

She also credits the variety of campus organizations she's joined - from those focused on student events to those fostering faith and diversity - with helping her make connections. "I've made some of my closest friendships when I was being my most authentic, silly self. It let them know it was okay for them to be silly too," she says, recalling the time dancing in the middle of the hallway for no reason at all led to one of her longtime CSU friendships.

Coggins thrives in the classroom, where she not only finds balance, but focus. She credits CSU's small class sizes with the personalized attention she receives from faculty and above-average time she spends performing on stage.

"I absolutely adore being in a classroom setting," where she says many of her faculty instructors actively encourage her, understand that every student learns differently and customizes their approaches to those differences. "This is what truly defines an outstanding teacher - the ability to adjust your teaching styles to students depending on their skill level."