A new year = a fresh chance to realize your career goals

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The University of Georgia’s Alumni Career Services office is here to help you pursue your dreams with a slate of virtual events this spring.

Job Search Week – January 25-29

Kick off your job search with a week full of webinars with top career coaches, human resource professionals, and certified resume writers, experts in job search strategy that will teach you how to successfully and masterfully execute your job search. You must register for each day’s webinar individually.

Job Search Boot Camp

Jump start your job search with a free 4-week course for all UGA alumni. Tips and strategies in this course will help you understand what employers in today’s market are seeking. This course will improve your ability to communicate your top skills to employers and get hired.

Job Search Support Groups

Job searching takes time, energy, and requires a strong support network. Together, alumni can learn from each other, support one another, and focus on what matters during the job search process–along with the support of certified career coaches and resume writers leading each session. You must register for a specific month. Groups meet on Thursdays at noon ET. Registration is limited. 

Alumni Webinar Series

Check out the amazing webinar topics and speakers that UGA Alumni Career Services is offering this spring. From applying to graduate school to finding a meaningful career as an experienced professional – these topics are sure to help you on your professional journey.

Resume and LinkedIn Critiques

It’s never too late to enhance your resume and LinkedIn profile. Let a certified professional resume writer share how to improve your brand to get noticed by employers. Critiques will occur via Zoom and you will have 15 minutes to ask questions about your resume and/or LinkedIn profile. Critiques are scheduled in 15-minute increments one Monday a month from 10 am to noon ET. Registration is limited.

Virtual Career Fairs

While UGA Career Fairs are not targeted specifically for alumni, you may attend if you register far enough in advance. The registration process is a bit more involved for alumni, so please register at least two weeks out to allow enough time to complete the process.

 

The Jerry Tanner Show – Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: Cincinnati

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Kirby takes the Dawgs into a fourth consecutive New Year’s Six bowl game (the Peach Bowl!) against Cincinnati’s third or fourth favorite team. But these Bearcats are no joke, as Jerry lays out before offering a joyful holiday message to the Bulldog Nation.

Show your Bulldog pride and help students in need with a pair of custom reusable face coverings exclusive to the UGA Bookstore! Your purchase of these masks includes a $10 donation to the UGA Student Emergency Fund, which provides limited, one-time assistance to students who are struggling to meet immediate, essential expenses due to hardships caused by the pandemic. Order yours at alumni.uga.edu/football!

Jerry Tanner is everyone you’ve ever met at a UGA tailgate, everyone who’s ever talked about Georgia football by your cubicle, and every message board poster who claims to have a cousin who cut Vince Dooley’s grass. He’s a UGA alumnus, he’s a college football fanatic with a Twitter addiction, and he’s definitely a real person and not a character played by Clarke Schwabe.

Deck the halls with these coloring pages for the holiday season

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UGA Alumni is making your wishes come true with another chance to display your creativity! UGA graphic designer Jessica DeAngelis has designed four coloring pages to brighten up the holidays. If you’re looking for additional decorations, we’ve got you covered with coloring pages perfect for all of Bulldog Nation.   

Get the UGA Alumni family in the spirit by posting your completed page on social media and tagging our account so we can share it. Make sure to include #AlwaysADawg.  

Click on each of the following coloring pages to download them.  

                     

 

Happy coloring and happy holidays!  

  

Jordan Rowe releases debut country music track, “Good for Nothin”

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UGA graduate Jordan Rowe (AB ’19, AB ’19) is working hard in Nashville to write and record country music that he hopes will make the Bulldog Nation proud. Since graduating from UGA with two degrees from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and a certificate in music business, Jordan has seen great success as he pursues a career as a singer-songwriter. Earlier this fall, he released his debut track “Good for Nothin.” We caught up with Jordan to ask him a few questions and get to know him better.

Q&A with Jordan Rowe

What inspired you to study both agriculture and music business at UGA?

Being from South Georgia, I was familiar with agribusiness, and I knew I could find a job in that field if music didn’t work out. However, music was where my heart was, so I wanted to make sure I knew as much about that business as I could before making the move to Nashville.

Are there any Nashville Bulldogs who have helped you along the way?

My current roommate and one of my best friends is Ray Fulcher (BSED ’08, MED ’10) (photo below, far left). He’s penned four No. 1 hits for Luke Combs and is pursuing his own artistry. I met Ray at a Georgia Theatre show while I was in school, and we hit it off from the beginning. He let me come up and live with him for a summer before I graduated so that I could get ahead of the game and start writing and meeting people here a little early. We’ve been good friends ever since.

Ray Fulcher at UGA Game

A few of Jordan’s favorites:

  • Restaurant: Rachel’s in Watkinsville
  • Professor: Ben Campbell
  • Class: Anything Ben Campbell teaches
  • Student Organization: UGA Bass Fishing Team
  • Sanford Stadium Moment: Watching one of my best friends, Jake Fromm, lead the Dawgs to a win over Notre Dame in 2019 (see photo below)
  • Football Rival You Love to Hate: Alabama
  • Best Concert Venue: Georgia Theatre
  • Best Concert: Opening for Riley Green at the Georgia Theatre
  • Song from College: The Battle Hymn trumpet solo during the pre-game ceremonies
  • Part of Campus: Ag Hill

Jake Fromm and Jordan Rowe

Interested in learning more about this young Bulldog making his way in Nashville? Follow Jordan on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

UGA alumni pro golfers headline donors to new scholarship

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Thanks to the play of nearly a dozen current and former University of Georgia golfers in a recent PGA Tour event and the generosity of Bulldogs on and off the course, contributions totaling more than $100,000 will create a new endowed, need-based scholarship at UGA.

Eleven UGA-affiliated golfers took part in the RSM Classic on St. Simons Island in November. Former UGA Alumni Association President Bonney Shuman (BBA ’80), a resident of St. Simons Island, saw an opportunity to pull together the group to support their alma mater.

“While my golfing talent is more watching than playing, these players and I do share something powerful: pride in our university,” said Shuman. “UGA made incredible experiences possible for all of us, so we are proud to help UGA make incredible experiences possible for future generations through a Georgia Commitment Scholarship.”

The Georgia Commitment Scholarship (GCS) Program—a need-based aid program built on private donations matched by the UGA Foundation—captured the attention of many donors since its 2017 launch, resulting in the creation of over 520 endowed, need-based scholarships.

Shuman joined Harris English (BSFC ’11), Brian Harman (BBA ’11), Russell Henley (BSFCS ’11), Chris Kirk (BSED ’08), Kevin Kisner (BBA ’06), Keith Mitchell (BBA ’14), Sepp Straka (BBA ’15), Hudson Swafford (BSFCS ’11) and Brendon Todd (BBA ’07) in pledging $5,000 each, which was then matched by the UGA Foundation, resulting in $100,000 committed to the UGA Alumni PGA Tour Professionals Georgia Commitment Scholarship.

Support also came from beyond Sea Island Golf Club. Prior to the RSM Classic, the UGA Alumni Association asked a select group to pledge “A Buck A Birdie” to the scholarship fund: $1 for every birdie by a UGA golfer during the tournament. At the close of the event, the golfers had scored 155 birdies, bringing the total amount pledged to more than $2,500.

“Our alumni are some of the most generous and supportive that you are likely to find, and the work of incredible volunteers like Bonney, who take their passion for UGA into their communities, is a big reason why,” said Kelly Kerner, vice president for development and alumni relations. “Every Bulldog who contributed to this scholarship has made a tangible, long-term impact on students in Georgia, and they have my gratitude.”

This isn’t the RSM Classic’s only connection to the GCS Program: last year, the Davis Love Foundation, which hosts the tournament, created its own GCS fund with a $50,000 gift.

Georgia Commitment Scholars are supported not just by funding from the scholarship, but with a rich slate of programming that offers ways to connect with other GCS recipients and the donors who created the scholarships. GCS students can receive special tutoring, workshops, academic coaching and other support through the Division of Academic Enhancement.

UGA Alumni Job Search Boot Camp: what you need to know

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Graduating with a University of Georgia degree opens countless doors for alumni throughout their careers–including lifetime access to the UGA Career Center and its full slate of professional development resources. Yes, we said lifetime! Whether you are looking to make your next career move, or reentering the workforce after a family-related hiatus, your alma mater is here for you.

UGA Career Center services include resume reviews, LinkedIn advice, interview preparation, and job search strategies. Our talented career consultants are available via Zoom, and we offer regular webinars to keep your career management skills up to date.

Today, we’re highlighting our Alumni Job Search Boot Camp. This (free!) four-week course assists UGA alumni in their job search by providing tips and strategies relevant to today’s job market. You can finish the downloadable workbook on your own time, view samples that provide inspiration, receive expert advice, and complete thought-provoking exercises to propel your job search forward with tangible results.

The goals of our Alumni Job Search Boot Camp include:

  • Exploring interests, personality types, and skills to make informed career choices
  • Implementing effective job search strategies to expedite the job search process
  • Creating tailored resumes that will land you interviews
  • Growing your network with LinkedIn tools and connecting with fellow Georgia Bulldogs
  • Learning the art of interviewing and how to answer difficult questions
  • Negotiating like a pro to ensure you earn the salary you deserve

In a competitive job market, equipping yourself with top-notch skills will get you ahead. A recent participant reported “this course forced me to be proactive in my job search and gave me invaluable tools and templates to grow my network and conduct informational interviews. Thanks to the networking section, I connected with a former co-worker who told me about an opening at her agency … I was interviewed and hired! I also was able to negotiate a higher salary than was initially proposed.”

We want you to experience a similar outcome! Learn more about our Alumni Job Search Boot Camp and connect with your UGA Career Center team today.

12 days of holiday shopping: Bulldog 100 edition

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The holiday season is in full effect, and the celebrations are right around the corner. That means there are plenty of small businesses to support to make the act of giving even sweeter. Not sure where to start looking for the best discounts and deals this season? How about starting with some offerings by the 2021 Bulldog 100 businesses owned or operated by UGA alumni? 

Here are a few of the 2021 Bulldog 100 businesses that can make your season bright: 

Agora Vintage, Airee Edwards (AB ’99) and Russell Edwards (JD ’10) 

Feeling like gifting that special someone with something designer under the tree this year? Agora Vintage specializes in the trade of authentic designer items and estate jewelry by labels such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Hermès.  

Books for Keeps, Leslie Hale (MPA ’13) 

Give back this holiday season with Books for Keeps, an Athens-based nonprofit organization that provides low-income families with books. You can help by donating books or volunteering to assist with book distribution. Learn more here. 

Hardy’s Peanuts Inc., Brad Hardy (BSA ’96) and Ken Hardy (BSA ’93) 

Hardy’s Peanuts Inc. is offering cases of Party Peanuts for a delicious and edible gift to give someone during the holidays.  

Puppy Haven, Michael Dermer (BBA ’10, MACC ’11) and David Sirzyk (BBA ’10) 

The holidays aren’t only for humans. Get your dog a gift with holiday bark bags from Puppy Haven that will be sure to get their tail wagging. Each bag contains fun holiday treats, chews, toys and more with pickup beginning Dec. 15 at one of their four locations. Each bag benefits the Atlanta Humane Society.  

Rev Coffee Roasters, Jenn Bimerle (AB ’02)  

There’s nothing like starting the day off with a cup of coffee, especially as the temperature cools. Rev Coffee Roasters is offering a special 2020 holiday coffee blend that shoppers can purchase here.  

Rheos Nautical Eyewear, Jake Berton (BBA ’08) and Rebecca Berton (ABJ ’11, AB ’11) 

Find the perfect holiday shades with Rheos Nautical Eyewear’s holiday collections. The shop is also offering 30% of any purchase with the code ‘GIFT30.’ 

SculptHouse, Katherine Mason (ABJ ’12) 

ScultpHouse offers holiday gift guides, scented Nest candles and diffusers and a special edition collection of sneakers in collaboration with Esseutesse. Also, if you buy a Mou boot, you get a free gift.  

Southern Baked Pie Company, Amanda Wilbanks (BBA ’09)  

The holidays aren’t complete without pie. Southern Baked Pie Company is offering holiday pies, such as cranberry-apple crumble, that can be shipped right to your door. You can also get the holidays catered or pick up a pie from one of their three locations in Buckhead, Alpharetta or Gainesville.  

Southern Straws Cheese Straws, Margaret Amos (BBA ’83) and Neal Amos (BBA ’14) 

Add some cheese straws to your holiday spread with Southern Straws Cheese Straws. The bakery offers custom holiday boxes with cheese straws that come in original, spicy, mild or a variety of flavors. If you’re sending the box to someone, you can also include a card with a message.  

Sole Boutique and Dish Boutique, Laura Lanier (AB ’00) 

Need to shop for a wife, daughter, sister or girlfriend? Sole Boutique offers a variety of clothing, accessories and home fragrances for that perfect gift.  

Svaha, Jaya Iyers (MS ’03) 

Want to get a stylish gift for a genius in your life? Svaha is offering STEM-related gift boxes, a buy one, get one free sale and more discounts on adult and children’s clothing as well as jewelry. 

The Hipster Hound, Nicholas Rintye (M ’17) and Tonya Rintye (ABJ ’94) 

The Hipster Hound is offering in-store holiday specials at their Savannah, Georgia, store with discounts on select dog beds, holiday toys and dog apparel.  

Looking to gift the Bulldog spirit to someone while making a difference? Our Bulldog Boxes (four sizes) and UGA face masks are exclusive to the UGA Bookstore and a portion of each purchase supports scholarships for UGA students. 

 

UGA Alumni Association reveals 2021 Bulldog 100 businesses

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LeaseQuery CEO George Azih speaks after his company was named the No. 1 fastest-growing business at the 2020 Bulldog 100 Celebration.

LeaseQuery CEO George Azih speaks after his company was named the No. 1 fastest-growing business at the 2020 Bulldog 100 Celebration on Feb. 8, 2020. LeaseQuery is one of several 2020 Bulldog 100 businesses to make the 2021 Bulldog 100 list.

The University of Georgia Alumni Association has unveiled the 2021 Bulldog 100, a list of the 100 fastest-growing businesses owned or operated by UGA alumni. UGA received 429 nominations for the 2021 list.

The 2021 Bulldog 100 celebrates organizations from over two dozen industries, including agriculture, construction, health care, nonprofits and software. Of the 100 businesses, 81 are located within the state of Georgia. In total, two countries and nine U.S. states are represented in this year’s Bulldog 100.

This year’s list of fastest-growing businesses, in alphabetical order, is as follows:

5Market Realty, Athens

Ad Victoriam Solutions, Alpharetta

ADD’s Personal Care Pharmacy, Bogart

Agora Vintage, Athens

American Tank Maintenance LLC, Warthen

Ansley Atlanta Real Estate, Atlanta

Applied Resource Group, Alpharetta

ASW Distillery, Atlanta

Backyard Escape Inc., Atlanta

Biren Patel Engineering, Macon

BlueBear Solutions Inc., Atlanta

Books for Keeps, Athens

Breda Pest Management, Loganville

BrightStar Care, Cumming

Buckhead Beans, Marietta

Builders Specialty Contractors, Boynton Beach, Florida

Cabo Luxury LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada

Calendly, Atlanta

Caplan Cobb LLP, Atlanta

Charlotte Lucas Interior Design, Charlotte, North Carolina

Chicken Salad Chick, Auburn, Alabama

Choice Media & Communications LLC, Franklin, Tennessee

Christopher’s Bridge Home Care, Watkinsville

Classic Overland, Macon

Consume Media, Norcross

Crawford and Boyle LLC, Monroe

Currie Design + Build, Roswell

DearthGalat LLC, Atlanta

Dental ClaimSupport, Savannah

DigitalCrafts, Atlanta

Eagle Christian Tours, Rome

Edwards & Hawkins LLC, Atlanta

Elinor H. Portivent, PC, Calhoun

Expert Technical Solutions, Atlanta

Fairway Insurance Group Inc., Acworth

FTM Travel, Brentwood, Tennessee

Globe Trotter Properties, Arlington, Virginia

Golden Isles Pharmacy, Brunswick

Greater Athens Properties, Athens

Grist Pallets, Tifton

Hager Design International Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia

Hardeman Hobson Waste Services LLC, Athens

Hardy’s Peanuts Inc., Hawkinsville

HatchWorks Technologies, Atlanta

Heather McElroy Real Estate, Athens

inBrain, Atlanta

Innovative Tax and Accounting Solutions LLC, Savannah

Irvin Retail Group of Marcus & Millichap, Atlanta

J&M Pool Company, Senoia

Jackrabbit Technologies, Huntersville, North Carolina

Kabbage, Atlanta

King’s Pharmacy Hayesville, Hayesville, North Carolina

Lamar Smith Homes, Richmond Hill

Langford Allergy, Macon

LeaseQuery, Atlanta

Liteworks Window & Door, Marietta

Litner + Deganian Personal Injury Firm, Atlanta

M. Jeffrey Martin, CPA, LLC, Saint Simons Island

MAB Corporate Advisors, Marietta

Maggie Griffin Design, Gainesville

Mark Spain Real Estate, Alpharetta

Marketwake, Atlanta

McNeal, Sports & Wilson Risk Advisers, Waycross

Meeting Street South, Sandy Springs

Merit Partners, Atlanta

Milestone Construction LLC, Athens

Millstone Homes Inc., Watkinsville

Moore Civil, Hawkinsville

Murray Osorio PLLC, Fairfax, Virginia

Nationwide Permitting Services, Mableton

Northern Lights Exteriors, Fort Lupton, Colorado

oneRepSALES, Athens

Park Place Outreach Youth Emergency Services, Savannah

PDI, Alpharetta

PeopleSuite, Mooresville, North Carolina

Puppy Haven, Sandy Springs

Rev Coffee Roasters, Smyrna

RGX LLC, Cornelius, North Carolina

Rheos Nautical Eyewear, Charleston, South Carolina

Roadie, Atlanta

SculptHouse, Atlanta

SFB IDEAS, Atlanta

Smith Planning Group, Watkinsville

Sole Boutique and Dish Boutique, Statesboro

Southern Baked Pie Company, Gainesville

Southern Belle Farm, McDonough

Southern Straws Cheese Straws, Columbus

Surcheros Fresh Mex, Douglas

Svaha USA, Chantilly, Virginia

The Barnes Law Office LLC, Atlanta

The Brogdon Firm LLC, Atlanta

The Brokery, Forsyth

The Hipster Hound, Savannah

The Keller Group, PA, Seneca, South Carolina

The Sign Brothers, Bogart

TRUE Automotive, Lawrenceville

Two Maids & A Mop, Birmingham, Alabama

W&A Engineering, Athens

Womack Custom Homes, Cartersville

This year’s list does not reflect the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on businesses. Each year, Bulldog 100 applicants are measured by their business’s compounded annual growth rate during a three-year period. The 2021 Bulldog 100 list is based on submitted financial information for 2017-19. The Atlanta office of Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors, a Bulldog 100 partner since the program began in 2009, verified the information submitted by each company.

The UGA Alumni Association will host the annual Bulldog 100 Celebration virtually Feb. 11, 2021, to celebrate these alumni business leaders and count down the ranked list to ultimately reveal the No. 1 fastest-growing business.

“These alumni demonstrate the incredible value of a degree from UGA and we are committed to continuing the tradition of recognizing their achievements and connecting them with current students, who will become the next generation of entrepreneurs,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, executive director of the UGA Alumni Association. “These leaders inspire us by bringing better solutions and building stronger communities, so we will ensure they are celebrated even as necessity requires this to be done virtually.”

Meet the Bulldog 100

UGA helped Kaitlin Miller to “serve well and wholeheartedly”

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Kaitlin Miller (AB ’13, AB ’13, ABJ ’13) is passionate about the people in her life. They inspire her, they guide her and they even helped her become a Bulldog.

“UGA was a natural choice for me for several reasons,” said Kaitlin. “It was close to home. My older sister went there, and I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. Some colleges are so specialized, but UGA had so much breadth that allowed me to test, try and experience.”

Kaitlin triple majored in International Affairs in the School of Public and International Affairs, Public Relations in Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and Economics in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, enjoying the variety of coursework offered by all three schools.

She also participated in the Honors Program and the Student Government Association, and she was a tour leader at the UGA Visitor’s Center and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Palladia, Sphinx Society, Dean William Tate Society and Blue Key. All along the way, she built friendships that she maintains and treasures to this day.

Kaitlin’s favorite memory at UGA is homecoming week of her senior year. She was on the homecoming court and remembers feeling that Bulldog spirit all over campus all week long: everywhere she went and in every meeting she attended. She was amazed to see generations of alumni coming home to Athens to attend the game.

As an official ending to her college career, she gave a speech at graduation. An avid runner, she recalls running through campus, weeks beforehand, with her speech on a loop in her head. She hoped to honor those who invested in her. She recalls it was one of those moments where God carried her through.

Kaitlin’s advice to current students, “Humble yourself enough to seek counsel from those wiser than you.”

Everything that the Triple Dawg learned in her studies, through balancing extracurriculars, classes and leadership roles and by surrounding herself with people she looks up to has paid off. Kaitlin has worked at Chick-fil-A since she graduated and has served in several roles along the way: Digital Marketing, Hospitality Trainer, International Learning Designer and, currently, the Menu Team.

“I get to work with phenomenal people who are wise and kind with a strong sense of purpose and significance,” said Kaitlin.

Today, she serves as leader of Chick-fil-A’s UGA Alumni Corporate Chapter. There are currently 300 UGA alumni either on staff or operating Chick-fil-A restaurants. They like to invest in students through the connect-hire-give initiative by both mentoring and giving to Let All the Big Dawgs Eat program, a need-based food scholarship program.

“We’re a restaurant; it makes perfect sense for us to feed hungry kids and let them focus on school and leadership,” said Kaitlin.

She just finished graduate school in May. When asked what’s next, she said, “I just try to make the most of each day; serve well and wholeheartedly.”

The Jerry Tanner Show – Week 10, 2020: Vanderbilt

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The rudderless Commodores come to Athens this weekend, and while a Bulldog win may seem a foregone conclusion, Jerry looks back (WAY back) at a time when that wasn’t so. Also, Jerry reveals a surprising and undeniable distinction this year’s Vanderbilt team has.

Gear up for your game-watching get-together! Bring the Dawgs home with these game-watching party boxes, full of Georgia-themed items that will have you singing ”Glory, Glory.” Each box has plenty of supplies for your very own tailgate, and the UGA Bookstore will make a contribution to the Alumni Chapter Scholarship Fund on your behalf with every purchase. Order yours today at alumni.uga.edu/football.

Jerry Tanner is everyone you’ve ever met at a UGA tailgate, everyone who’s ever talked about Georgia football by your cubicle, and every message board poster who claims to have a cousin who cut Vince Dooley’s grass. He’s a UGA alumnus, he’s a college football fanatic with a Twitter addiction, and he’s definitely a real person and not a character played by Clarke Schwabe.