Will Bradley
For Connor Higgins, choosing a college was always a “numbers game.”
“Dollars and cents on your salary after four years,” he said. “How much will college cost?”
The University of Alabama was a logical choice for Higgins, a native of Athens, Alabama and a National Merit Scholar. But, when he enrolled at the Capstone, the “numbers game” weighed on him once more. This time, he feared being “just a face in the crowd” of almost 40,000 students on UA’s campus. Higgins wanted to cultivate meaningful relationships with faculty and staff and hoped to personalize his experience at UA.
“To that point, college had never been sold to me as this academic experience where you get to figure yourself out,” he said.
Now, after three years on campus, Higgins’ career ambitions and scholarly perspectives have been reshaped and recalibrated. Faculty such as Ross Bryant, associate dean of the UA Honors College, serve as a mentor to Higgins and provide collaborative undergraduate research opportunities. The staff in the Culverhouse College of Business have helped Higgins pivot from management information systems to the accelerated master’s program in economics, keeping him on track to graduate on time.
“It really does feel like our people at UA wake up every day with the hope that they can help a student land a dream job or get them pointed in the right direction,” Higgins said. “Everyone is super supportive and enthusiastic about student success.”
That enthusiasm extends beyond Tuscaloosa, both in opportunities to learn and grow and those who fund those opportunities.
In 2022, Higgins studied abroad through the UA in Thailand: International Economics program, led by Paan Jindapon, associate professor of economics at UA, each summer. Students in the program learn about business and economic relations between Thailand and the United States and have hands-on experiences in local agricultural production. The month-long immersion has been influential to Higgins, who is interested in macro economics policy.
A pair of scholarships covered nearly all of Higgins’ expenses to study abroad. While grateful for the passionate investments UA alumni make into scholarship endowments, he’s also appreciative of the interest alumni have in the students they support. Higgins received the Tidwell-Lovett Family Endowed Scholarship for the Study Abroad Program in Culverhouse and was able to connect with UA alumnus Ken Tidwell both personally and professionally. Higgins said the pair bonded over their mutual connection to the Carl Elliott Society and his stories, photos and takeaways from UA in Thailand.
“Sharing those experiences in Thailand with Mr. Tidwell last fall meant a lot to me since he made it possible,” Higgins said. “It’s really cool to build our professional connections through our alumni network.”
Scholarships, fellowships and other programming allow students such as Higgins to achieve their aspirations of excellence and leadership at The University of Alabama. Through The Rising Tide 2.0 Capital Campaign, we will add 1,000 new endowed scholarships and fellowships.
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