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Creating Our Own Lives: Qua’s GT Excel Life and “Never Give Up”

Creating Our Own Lives
Qua’s GT Excel Life and “Never Give Up”
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table of contents
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Introduction: Recognizing Student Voice in Inclusive Higher Education
  8. Part 1. Laying the Foundation: Why Everyone Belongs in College
    1. 1. I Want to Go to College
    2. 2. I Got In
    3. 3. Adventures in Postsecondary Education
    4. 4. A Language to Open
    5. 5. “The Wanderer” and “This Is What I Sing”
    6. 6. My History of the Excel Program
    7. 7. Taking the Llama for a Walk and Other Things That Helped Us
  9. Part 2. Opening Up Possibilities: Overcoming Doubt and Uncertainty
    1. 8. Being Independent Has Risks: How to RecoverWhen Something Terrible Happens
    2. 9. Spartan Kid: Journeys
    3. 10. Best Experiences at IDEAL
    4. 11. Two Poems
    5. 12. Goal(s) in Common
    6. 13. I Did What They Said I Couldn’t
    7. 14. Climbing Higher and “From Mission Impossible to Mission Possible”
    8. 15. Inclusive College on Zoom? My Inclusive Higher Education 2020 Experience
    9. 16. Inclusive College for All and How My Perception of My History Prof Changed
    10. 17. Qua’s GT Excel Life and “Never Give Up”
    11. 18. Photo Essays and Selections from Student Leadership Conference 2019
  10. Part 3. Inclusion as Action: Diversifying Student Experiences
    1. 19. Hi, I’m Jake Miller
    2. 20. “BGWYN” and “Confidence with Curves”
    3. 21. Inclusive College Education
    4. 22. My UC Perspective
    5. 23. Phoenix Nation as in Spirit
    6. 24. My Excel Story
    7. 25. #CreatingMyOwnLife
    8. 26. Inclusive College Education
    9. 27. My Story about Aggies Elevated at Utah State University
    10. 28. Questions and Answers
    11. 29. College Memories but Ready for What’s Next
    12. 30. Full Year of College
    13. 31. My Favorite Memories in College
  11. Part 4. Supporting Growth: Peer Mentoring and Support
    1. 32. Communicating Successfully in College
    2. 33. True Rafferty Interviewed
    3. 34. College Program Experience
    4. 35. Teaching, Assisting, Reflecting: Our Experience Working Together
    5. 36. My Georgia Tech Excel Story
    6. 37. Emma’s Journey
    7. 38. Come Read about My Awesome Journeys through Life
    8. 39. My Social Experience throughout Georgia Tech
    9. 40. The Importance of Goals
    10. 41. Support and Encouragement for the Ones Who Seek It
    11. Coda: Why This Collection?
  12. Acknowledgments
  13. Contributors

17

Qua’s GT Excel Life and “Never Give Up”

Marquavious Barnes

My first year of college went well; I was just getting to know Georgia Tech and trying to navigate places to go and where to find friends. I had to focus on making good grades. I did good in all my classes, but as time went on my career grades didn’t look too good, but I was glad when I had my past internships. I used to see my friends there. I liked it better when I was working for sports. Now, I will be working for the BuzzCard office. I like being up and walking around but not always. I need to sit down at least one time at work. My legs are like noodles, but my upper body is strong. I could go work out at a gym called the Campus Recreation Center.

I don’t know if it was my first year or second, I refereed flag football and did some scorekeeping for volleyball. In flag football, I remembered I just let the boys play. I didn’t throw any flags. I reffed frat teams. I wasn’t that good at refereeing. I wanted to be the referee GOAT (Greatest of All Time). In volleyball, on the other hand, I was keeping up with the game. Volleyball is a fast-paced sport, so I had to focus. I’d get mad when I would mess up. I also worked for Barnes & Noble. I didn’t really like working for B&N because I didn’t like standing in one place all day. I’m the type of person that likes moving around.

My third year of college went well, but I didn’t care about my grades or anything that year. I was mostly worried about surviving that year. I kind of was angry over something that happened in 2019 in the springtime in my social life. So, I was defending myself at all costs. People knew what the deal was if they said something to me. People knew I was still upset because I’d go places frowning. If you wanted to play around with me, I was not tolerating it. All I liked doing was being with friends or being alone playing my video games. I feel like playing video games helps you get your anger out.

My third year, in 2020, I remember I made a rap called “Never Give Up.” I shocked everybody with my rap, and I have a tattoo that says “never give up.” The meaning behind that rap was I want to change Excel for the better or worse. Then, in March of 2020, Covid-19 hit and messed everything up. We were out for five months. I’m glad I could take a break, because I was about to lose it in school because of something that happened in February of 2020. A girl got upset with me and caused some problems that were stressful. Now, it’s my fourth year and I don’t have a roommate. Donald Anderson was supposed to be my roommate, but it changed. I like living alone to have more space and be able to manage my own time without worrying about anyone else. I’m living in the moment every day; I’m a senior. I’m not worried about these girls, but I opened up for only two, and I said if they want to live in the moment with me, they can. I want a relationship and am trying to find the right person. This year, I’m more laid back and calm. I got good grades in all my classes, but I want to end my college year with all As. After college, I plan on moving back home to Athens, Georgia, and working there in the downtown area at a hotel or at the University of Georgia.

“Never Give Up”

Verse

The teachers tried me the students try me I never give up said I never give up the students try me the teachers look right by me Yeah, I will never give up

Chorus

I never give up said I never give up when life seems hard, I will never give up I never give up said I never give up I got it tatted I never give up

Verse

Never give up you don’t know my circumstance yep, I will never give up one more year that I’m sentenced here 2021 I’m gone

Chorus

I never give up said I never give up when life seems hard, I never give up I never give up said I never give up I got it tatted I never give up

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This work was supported by the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education and the Center on Disability and Inclusion at Syracuse University.
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