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News from |
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Michael D. Chason Director of Public
Relations ABAC 30, 2802 Moore Hwy |
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For IMMEDIATE
Release December 10, 2009
ABAC
Presidential Scholar Pursuing Degree in Pharmacy
TIFTON – Michael
Arena, a pharmacy major at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, did not choose
pharmacy as his first career goal. In
fact, the Fitzgerald High School valedictorian had other plans in mind.
“I
was dead set on being an engineer since the seventh grade,” Arena said. “I
worked at a local pharmacy in Fitzgerald my junior year and was influenced by
the pharmacist. I realized there were a lot of benefits to being a pharmacist,
especially if you are working for a corporation.”
Arena
chose ABAC to get his college education because of the small campus size and
the proximity to home. His decision to
choose ABAC might have also been affected by his selection as an ABAC
Presidential Scholar. ABAC President
David Bridges initiated the Presidential Scholarship Program as a model system
designed to enhance recruiting and the admission of highly deserving students
to ABAC.
“I
wanted to be close to home, and I still go back to Fitzgerald every weekend,”
Arena, who just completed his first semester at ABAC, said. “I also like the fact that I could wade into
the water of college life as opposed to diving in.”
Arena
is far from a wallflower at ABAC. Besides residing on campus at ABAC Lakeside,
he is also a part of the Student Government Association (SGA), the Residence
Hall Association, and the Honors Club.
“There
are a lot of activities that keep me entertained on campus,” Arena, the son of
Michael Arena and Dr. Jean Rachels-Arena, said. “For students who live here or
are close by, ABAC provides a lot of activities.”
Other
hobbies include learning how to play the guitar and keyboard and an interest in
genetic research, specifically on genes affecting metabolism.
After
ABAC, Arena plans to attend either the University of Georgia’s pharmacy school
or South University in Savannah. He
still envisions himself living in Georgia after his education is complete and
hopes to be working for a pharmacy chain or possibly opening his own.
The
spring semester begins at ABAC on Jan. 11, 2010.