True Rafferty Interviewed

True Rafferty, with Nathan Heald

Editor’s Note: This is a written transcript of an interview between True Rafferty and Nathan Heald. The audio version is uploaded to Manifold. We include the written version to increase accessibility.

Nathan Heald: Hello, this is Nathan Heald, and I’m here joined by True Rafferty. Hey, how’s it going?: True Rafferty: Good. How are you, Nathan?
Nathan Heald: Good. Well, again, my name is Nathan Heald. I’m a lecturer and career development coordinator with the Excel Program at Georgia Tech. And I’m here to talk with True Rafferty a little bit about his experience in the Excel Program. We actually started the program together four years ago when I started as a lecturer working with the Excel Program and True as a freshman. And we wanted to take some time to look back and think about some of the experiences True’s had and what he’s learned over these last four years. So True, I want to start out, just kind of tell me a little bit about yourself.: True Rafferty: Well, I’m a fourth year in the Excel Program now. And, when I when I first started, I felt a little bit of anxiety because, I mean, I didn’t have any friends. And I was starting someplace someplace different and I felt a little bit lonely.
Nathan Heald: Yeah. How’s that changed? I think a lot of people go through that experience when they start college. They have an experience that they’re not ready for, that they’ve never had before. How has that changed from your first year to your fourth year?: True Rafferty: Well, I’ve made some some new friends, but I’ve also done done some things to help push me out of my out of my shell a little bit.
Nathan Heald: Okay, tell me about some of those things that you say “pushed you out of your shell.”: True Rafferty: I joined some, I got involved in some activities here, here on campus, such as CCF.
Nathan Heald: What is CCF?: True Rafferty: Christian Campus Fellowship.
Nathan Heald: Okay, and what else are you involved with, and what other organizations do you get involved with on campus?: True Rafferty: Swimming club and outdoor recreation.
Nathan Heald: All right. That sound like fun. And what are some of the activities that you did with those organizations?: True Rafferty: Well, for outdoor recreation, I went on a couple of sea kayaking trips. I wanted to do some caving, as well, but because of the pandemic, that didn’t end up happening.
Nathan Heald: Okay, what is sea kayaking?: True Rafferty: Well, that’s where you take a kayak out on a out on a lake or the ocean and, you know, you just paddle like that, and instead of going down a river that’s flowing. It’s always moving. And the shape of the kayak is different than a white water kayak. A sea kayak has a more narrow body and a sharper nose.
Nathan Heald: So you’ve learned a lot about different activities and sea kayaking is one of them. Do you think you’re going to continue some of these activities after the Excel Program?: True Rafferty: Yeah. Yes, I do. I think I’m good. I think I’m going to continue to look for opportunities to to explore caves and also try other active outdoor activities as well.
Nathan Heald: Okay, so you mentioned also CCF. Have you made friends there?: True Rafferty: I mean, I haven’t made any friends but the people, the people there were really nice.
Nathan Heald: Okay, do you feel like you’ve made friends over the four years in the Excel Program that you’re going to continue afterwards?: True Rafferty: Yes, I think I’m going to continue to stay in touch with the friends that I’ve made here at Georgia Tech.
Nathan Heald: How has that made you feel, knowing that you have friends that you’ll stay in contact with after the Excel Program?: True Rafferty: It’s made me feel like I’ve put myself out there and that feels great.
Nathan Heald: Good, good. So we talked a little bit about social life and some of the activities you got to participate in. But another part of college is going to classes, right? Right. So what are some of the classes that you’ve taken? Maybe some that you really enjoyed since you’ve been in the Excel Program.: True Rafferty: One class that I thought it was pretty interesting was Abnormal Psychology.
Nathan Heald: Okay, you remember anything you learned in that class?: True Rafferty: Well, just that the human mind is a very delicate thing.
Nathan Heald: And I didn’t mean to put you on the spot there, was that a class you took a few semesters ago?: True Rafferty: I took it last semester.
Nathan Heald: Okay, what are some of the other classes you’ve taken that you’ve enjoyed?: True Rafferty: Sociology and supply chain management.
Nathan Heald: Okay, very cool. So, how did you stay on top of all your classwork? So you have all these different classes that you took, but how did you manage to stay on top and stay organized?: True Rafferty: I prioritize my assignments by their due dates. So whatever was coming up soon. I got that done first and then whatever it was was due at a later time. I would focus on that next. But I also had tutors that helped me with some of my work and helped me keep on top of my my work.
Nathan Heald: Okay. I think having people that help us reach our goals and stay on top of things is really helpful.: True Rafferty: Yes, it is.
Nathan Heald: Tutors were really helpful in making sure you’re keeping track of assignments. Good, so another big part of the Excel Program is jobs. So, internship and work experience. You take a career course every single semester when you’re in the Excel Program. So, tell me a little bit about your experience with work and internships over the last four years.: True Rafferty: Well, I’ve gained I’ve gained a lot of work experience since I started in the Excel Program. I think my most most favorite internship experience was working at the Atlanta airport. I mean, while I was there, I worked as a wheelchair attendant and I helped people who had trouble walking, getting to where they needed to go.
Nathan Heald: What are some of the skills you think you gained through that experience, that internship?: True Rafferty: I mean, customer service skills and also directional skills as well.
Nathan Heald: Yeah, Atlanta is the busiest airport, and you had to figure out how to navigate that and get people at the gates they needed to get to.: True Rafferty: Right, right, right. Working at the busiest airport in the world. Yeah. And I managed to navigate it in just a short period of time.
Nathan Heald: That’s great. So tell me some of your other experiences, because you’ve had quite a few internships that helped you figure out things that you like to do and things that you don’t like to do. What are some of those other experiences you had?: True Rafferty: Well, when I first started, I thought I wanted to work in forestry, but after a couple of trials, I mean I discovered that maybe it’s not, that it’s not for me.
Nathan Heald: How did you get a trial in forestry? What was the internship that gave you that experience or gave you a glimpse into what it would be like?: True Rafferty: I worked with the Georgia Tech landscaping and I worked with an arborist. But it was a lot more complicated than I thought it would be. And having to wake up at, like, before the sun comes up, I mean, I just couldn’t do that.
Nathan Heald: Yeah. And you had to be out in the elements as well.: True Rafferty: Yeah, you know, no matter if it was if it was was sunny out or if it was raining or snowing. Yeah. We had to be out there, and I mean, and I, I just couldn’t do that.
Nathan Heald: I think a big part of internships is finding out things that we don’t like to do so that we can find those things that we do want to do. That’s part of the internship experience. And the college experience is figuring out what’s a good fit for you. Great. So, True, tell me, what is something that you’re most proud of during your four years in the Excel Program?: True Rafferty: I think what I’m most proud of is that when I leave here I’ll be able to say that I’ve I’ve graduated college. I mean, like when I was younger, I didn’t even picture myself going to college.
Nathan Heald: Yeah. It’s a pretty cool achievement that you can say you went to four years, you graduated, you had that experience, you learned about what you are interested in and what you want to do after you graduate, make friends that you have for hopefully a lifetime. Yeah, I think that’s something really important to be proud of. So, as a fourth year, you’ve had lots of different experiences and probably gained a lot of wisdom through those experiences. What would you tell a freshman or somebody that’s thinking about going to college for four years? What would you say to them? What advice would you give them?: True Rafferty: I would tell them to take initiative. And don’t be afraid to try something different.
Nathan Heald: All right, so any other advice that you’d give?: True Rafferty: I would say, I would also tell them to don’t be afraid of not fitting in. I mean we now live in an age of acceptance. So, you know, put yourself out there, do something you were never able to do before.
Nathan Heald: That’s great. That’s wonderful advice. So, True, thanks for spending some time with us, explaining a little bit about your experiences, the things you’ve enjoyed and that you’ll take away from the Excel Program. Thanks for sharing your story with us.: True Rafferty: Yep. My pleasure, Nathan. All right. Bye.

College Program Experience