‘I looked a lot at opportunities for involvement. You see how easy it is’

For Alisha Epps, transferring to South Carolinameant spending some time on the little things. The payoff was that big things were in her future.

“You have a lot of little, small-print details and lot of questions,” she says of the transfer process. “How are things going to go with financial aid, transfer credit? Things like that. But it's a smooth process.”

No kidding. Once settled, she went on to earn a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship and an honorable mention selection to USA Today's All-USA College Academic Teams.

The Gilbert, S.C., native was enrolled in the South Carolina Honors College and majored in experimental psychology. She conducted research on rats that are genetically prone to epilepsy and worked on gene modifications to minimize seizures.

Alisha graduated in May 2006 and went on to graduate school in neuroscience at Emory University, where she hoped to branch out in her research to explore depression and anxiety.

She says it wasn't hard to immerse herself in the Carolina community. “I remember that I looked a lot at opportunities for involvement,” she says. “You see how relatively easy it is to get involved. I e-mailed my mentor to get involved in the lab. Obviously, the football team is a big draw. With clubs and organizations, there's such a wide variety offered, there's no excuse for anyone not to be involved.”

Tabetha Pate found a similar experience when transferring from Midlands Technical College in Columbia. She made a smooth transition to the University and into her studies as a biology major. She is on track to graduate in May 2007.

Tabetha has been impressed with both the academic and recreational facilities at South Carolina. “I use the library all the time; that was one of the main reasons I came. There's always someone there to help you, and that is just a huge plus for me. You have so many resources.”

The Wellness and Fitness Center is also a draw. “I haven't seen any other fitness center like this,” Tabetha says. “It's just unbelievable.”