If Bryan County High School 2019 valedictorian Dy’Amond McGhee can’t get you motivated to go out and achieve something, no one can. McGhee, the daughter of Kimberly McGhee and Lavanne Wiggins and granddaughter of Betty McGhee, graduated Cum Laude from the University of Georgia on Dec. 16 with three bachelor’s degrees – a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with an emphasis on neuroscience, and a Bachelor of Science in Consumer Economics. She minored in political science and sociology, and led her class as FACS marshal at convocation.
McGhee isn’t taking a break either. She plans on attending law school in the fall and ultimately wants to be a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
Read our Q&A:
Q: You plan on a future as a judge. How inspiring was it for you to see Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court? What did that moment mean for you?
A: When Ketanji Brown Jackson was appointed to the Supreme Court, I was glad to see more diversity in terms of identity and life experiences on the Supreme Court. This moment meant that no matter who you are you can achieve any goal you set your mind to accomplish.
Q: Why do you want to get into law?
A: I want to practice law and become an attorney so I can help disadvantaged individuals receive legal representation.
Q: Who are your role models in Bryan County?
A: I would say that my mother is my role model. She always motivates me to work hard to achieve my goals.
Q: What was your time at UGA like?
A: I enjoyed my time at the University of Georgia! The university allowed me to grow as a person, make professional connection, and introduced me to new experiences and opportunities Q: It seems like you’ve got a lot on the ball and a lot of things going on at the same time, and you’re also very driven to excel. How do you do you?
A: When I set a goal for myself, I always try to accomplish that goal. If the path to my goal is not working out, I am always willing to alter the steps to get me where I need to be to achieve the mission.
Q: What’s your advice to young women today?
A: My advice to young woman would be to take a chance on your goals and do not be scared to fail. You’ll never know how things will work out until you give it a try.
Q: How do you decompress?
A: I try to find something to do that will relieve me from my stress such as going to the gym to work out or going for a walk with one of my friends.
Q: If you were interviewing yourself, what would you ask?
A: I would ask myself, “How do you define success?” I’d say that reaching small and large milestones toward your goal is considered as success. Even overcoming a challenge is a huge success and a step to achieving the overall goal.