Kennedye McGhee, junior in biomedical sciences, is one of five candidates for 2019 Miss Auburn. We sent a questionnaire to each of the candidates. The questions and McGhee's responses can be seen below. Elections will be held Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Q: What are the characteristics you want to exemplify when representing the University?
A: While representing the university, my intent is to allow my genuine perseverance, servant-leadership skills and commitment to our university shine through as I believe these are the core values that make me an excellent candidate for Miss Auburn.
Q: Why do you care about Auburn University as a whole?
A: Auburn University is a special place- it is a place that has challenged me and pushed me to strive for greatness. This institution has brought out strengths in me that I didn’t even know I possessed -and this journey all began with my decision to receive and Auburn education. The people that make up this wonderful institution remind me constantly that I am not alone and that I can accomplish my wildest of dreams. Through this role, I would like to give back to my university everything that it has given me. The opportunities, the experiences, the growth- I will make it my personal duty to make sure that Auburn continues to flourish in every area and aspect of our campus.
Q: What are the top priorities in your platform?
A: I value education and I am so passionate about education and have become even more so during my time here at Auburn. For these reasons, my creed stanza is “I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.” You can count on me to be an advocate for education, specifically an Auburn education for all students. That means local students, out of state students, international students, students who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, transfer students, students with disabilities. My passion and desire is for all of these students to see Auburn as home and one day call it home. One way that I feel we can do this for minority students is to take a look at how we are recruiting these students and the funds that we are providing for these students as our admissions numbers for minority students have consistently decreased over the past 10 years.
Q: What experiences have had the biggest impact on your Auburn experience?
A: I have been blessed with many opportunities and experiences since stepping foot on Auburn’s campus that have molded me into the woman that I am today. For the past three years, I have actively served in Auburn’s Student Government Association. Throughout my time in SGA, I have learned the true value of servant-leadership in regard to being a servant to your community first and a leader second through your service. It has also taught me how to manage a team and work well with my peers, administrators, and those who are in authority. In my current role as the Assistant Vice President of Programs, I have had to find the balance between being friends with my Directors and also being their leader. During those times where I may have to give constructive criticism, I remember that it is my job to lead and guide them so that they can hold higher leadership positions of their own. I also currently serve as a mentor in Project Uplift, which is an agency whose main goal is to help children develop constructive, happy lives so that the delinquency rate in our county will decrease. In this role, I have gained first-hand experience to working with children of lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This experience has ignited a passion in me to help children with this background to be able to acquire an education and possibly become successful Auburn men and women.
Additionally, I believe my experiences in both of these organizations has given me personal insight to the inner-workings of the university and to the areas of need in our community. This awareness has placed me in a unique position to be able to enact lasting and positive change here at the university.
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