Burnsville Recreaction and Learning Center volunteer Kebiola Giddings will be attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Giddings is originally from Guyana, a country on the northeast coast of South America.
“That’s where I grew up, and my brother and I lived there with our mother,” Giddings said.
She moved, with her brother, to America in 2012 after graduating from St. Roses High School to pursue a college career.
“I didn’t initially opt for the typical four-year university because I was already far away from home and I didn’t want to be any further away from my family,” she said. “So, I decided to go to community college instead and I ended up at South Piedmont Community College where I graduated with an (associate in science) degree in biology.”
Giddings lives in Ansonville with her father and younger brother. Her dad is a carpenter and her 16-year-old brother attends Anson County Early College.
“While I was attending SPCC, I volunteered in the school’s SP Cares Service Club, but I stopped after a while because the volunteering opportunities conflicted with church time and my family’s schedule,” Giddings said.
She also said that wasn’t involved in any other extracurricular activities besides that, but “whenever I had free time, I would work along with my dad.”
“It’s funny because the name of his business is Anthony and Son Carpentry, so people were always surprised to see him show up with his daughter,” Giddings said.
Giddings said that working with her dad is how she ended up at BRLC. She said that she and her father were working on the flooring in the children’s area when she met Carrol Smith, a director there.
“During our conversation, I asked if there were any volunteering opportunities available and she let me know that they were looking for someone to assist with data entry,” she said. “This was perfect for me because I had some experience in that area from working part time at Anson Pediatrics.”
Giddings wrote an essay for UNCC about her experience as a BRLC volunteer for admissions.
“Volunteering at BRLC did give me an opportunity to work on my social skills; I learned about responsibility and commitment, and of course the importance of teamwork,” she said.
Giddings is going to UNCC to get a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.
“I’m doing pre-med because I’d like to be either a dermatologist or a pediatrician and I hope to someday return to my country to practice,” she said. “My overall goal is to be successful, gain new life experiences, make lots of new friends and hopefully get to explore some of my other interests.”
Giddings said that she and her family were happy when she found out she got into UNCC.
“My dad brought the acceptance letter home and said, ‘You got in,’ before we even opened it,” she said. “My family has a lot of faith in my abilities and they believe in me.”
Giddings said she thanks God for her many blessings, and her family and friends for all of the love and continued support that they have shown.
“Specifically, I would like to my parents for all that they have sacrificed to get me to where I am today,” she said. “Also, everyone I’ve encountered on this journey who has believed in me, supported me and contributed in any way to my success.”