Georgia Varlan
Written by Katrina Otuonye, Edited by Whitney Boshers
Class of:
|
Spring 2009 |
Major:
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College Scholars – East Asian History and Political Economy |
Hometown:
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Knoxville, Tennessee |
High School:
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Bearden High School, Knoxville, Tennessee |
Georgia Varlan is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee. She is a Neyland Scholar and a member of the Chancellor’s Honors Program. She has been very active with many campus organizations during her time at UT, including Student Alumni Associates, Chi Omega, and the Student Government Association. She is also a member of the Baker Scholars Program sponsored by the Howard H. Baker, Jr., Center for Public Policy, and is currently serving as the undergraduate representative on the College of Arts and Sciences Strategic Planning Committee.
As a member of the College Scholars Program, Georgia is focusing her individualized academic program on East Asian History and Political Economy, combining the study of history, political science, economics and Chinese language to explore the reality of globalization as it contextualizes the rising markets and changing political systems of East Asia.
Georgia poses for a photo in studio with CBS' Bob Schieffer, chief Washington correspondent and moderator of Face the Nation.
In the spring of 2007, Georgia spent a semester living in Washington, D.C., where she served as a White House intern for the National Economic Council, the President’s principal economic policymaking office. The NEC addresses a variety of issues, including Social Security, Medicare, and tax policy. Georgia specifically worked under the Special Assistants to the President dealing with energy policy, agriculture and trade, and banking and financial markets. Her duties included doing research on these abovementioned subjects, attending an ungodly number of meetings, reporting on congressional hearings and activity, and writing briefing papers and memos. She says of her experiences, “It was an honor not only to meet President Bush and many members of his cabinet and staff but also to work alongside all of the White House employees who put a tremendous amount of time and effort in to serving our country.”
While in China, Georgia visits the Great Wall.
After returning from her stint working for the White House, Georgia spent her summer teaching English at the Tsinghua University English Summer Camp in Beijing, China. Georgia helped teach a class of 60 Tsinghua freshmen, who she says “were extremely bright and eager to learn about western culture.” This was her second trip to China as a UT student; last summer she traveled the country on a mini-term trip led by Dr. Yang Zhong of the Department of Political Science, her College Scholars Program faculty mentor. Georgia plans to spend next fall semester continuing her study of Chinese language and culture at Beijing University in China.
In addition to her current accomplishments, Georgia has been honored with several scholarships, including the Governor Ned WcWherter Scholarship, the Tennessee Lottery Scholarship, and the 2007 UT Parents Association Academic Scholarship.
After graduating in May of 2009, Georgia plans to attend law school. Her ideal career would be to work for an organization or firm that focuses on international trade and the impact of globalization on social and political structures in developing nations.
