When Lea Bryant walks across the stage at the University of South Carolina Aiken’s spring commencement ceremony, she will be recognized as the Outstanding Senior Student. It is an honor she never expected but one that makes her four years of effort all worthwhile.
The Columbia native will graduate with a degree in psychology and has been a leader in several campus organizations, including the Admissions Ambassadors Program and the Psychology Honor Society Psi Chi.
She says, “This award means that my hard work has been noticed and recognized and that my professors feel like I am a good representative of what USCA embodies. That, to me, is very, very special.”
Bryant’s college journey began in 2020 when much of the campus community was inactive. Although the Ambassadors program was not conducting its usual in-person tours at the time, the Ambassador who guided Bryant through her transition to campus inspired her to pay the service forward.
Bryant began volunteering for the program at the start of her sophomore year. She and other Ambassadors lead guided tours of campus and serve as the first face welcoming students and prospective families. As a result of Bryant’s motivational spirit, leadership, and the kindness she embodies in this role, she was hired as one of four paid coaches who oversee 23 other student Ambassadors.
Campus Visit Coordinator Holly Strother supervises the Ambassadors program. She says, “We want prospective students to see a student they feel connected with and be able to see themselves here. Based on our surveys, Ambassadors are impactful for them and the reason they say yes to USCA. They recognize their honesty and intentionality, which is the most positive thing about our program. That energy and mindset is Lea’s doing, and why she was hired.”
As a coach, Bryant strives to not only make a lasting impact on prospective students but to make her fellow Ambassadors feel part of something special and recognize them for their accomplishments. As part of this effort, she created a shout-out
box to communicate praise and encouragement.
“The Ambassador I had coming into college was so influential to me, so I understood the importance of the program,” she says. “I want to share my passion for the university and how it has impacted me personally. I love being that person and offering a positive perspective and guidance to incoming students and their families as well as other Ambassadors.”
Director of Admissions Andrew Hendrix says, “Lea has been a crucial part of our success over the last three years. She’s leaving the program in a much better place than it was when she arrived.”
Bryant’s leadership efforts also extend to academics in her service as president of Psi Chi. In this role, she has prioritized increased activity in the society, which recently took 11 graduate and undergraduate students to the Southeastern Psychological Association Southeast Regional Conference in Orlando, where they presented their research to a panel of judges. Bryant and classmate Hannah Waterman were recognized with prestigious research awards during the conference.
Bryant says, “Being part of the group research lab and conducting independent research has helped me build skills and knowledge tremendously, and seeing students thrive when provided with the resources to do so has been incredible.”
After graduation, she plans to continue her psychology studies in graduate school and later hopes to practice pediatric psychology, providing assessment and therapy to children with autism spectrum disorder.
As her undergraduate career draws to a close, Bryant reflects on the most rewarding aspect of her USCA experience: relationships. Her close ties with faculty, staff, and fellow students have facilitated opportunities for networking, internships, and research and created an overall feeling of support and success as a college student.
“When I chose a college, I wanted a smaller school where I would be a name and a face rather than a number in a crowd,” she says. “USCA checked that box and so much more. It has helped me become an Outstanding Senior Student, lead the Ambassadors program and Psi Chi, and attend conferences. USCA provided those opportunities for me.”
Bryant is one of five graduating seniors university-wide selected as exceptional students ahead of May Commencement. Graduates are set to walk across the stage at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, in the Convocation Center.
For more information, contact Leigh Thomas -