With Open Arms

What makes a home a home? It doesn’t always have to have four walls and a roof, Corey Straughter Jr. says. Although he one day hopes to help people secure that comfort with their dream house, for now, he is creating that feeling of warmth and familiarity on campus.

Straughter, a third-year University of Georgia student with three majors between the Terry College of Business and the Franklin College of Arts & Sciences, focuses on the idea of belonging in his everyday life. That begins with always saying “yes” when asked for help. By studying economics, real estate, and philosophy, he hopes to have a wide array of skills to help people in any way that may come up.

In his philosophy studies, he took to intellectual empathy, the act of seeing everyone as an individual with unique experiences and emotions.

“It’s a very simple concept of being able to see everything from different views and really understanding those different perspectives as if they were your own — even if you don’t agree with them,” he says.

And as a resident belonging assistant in University Housing, he puts that philosophy into practice daily. For the past year, Straughter has helped residents in Morris Hall, Building 1516, and Vandiver Hall navigate the challenges of the undergraduate experience.

“It’s been a great opportunity to really listen, educate people, and spread information about what’s best when people cohabitate. I just love being able to do that,” he says.

Three majors may seem like a lot. But a few years ago, Straughter didn’t know if one bachelor’s degree was attainable, much less three.

“It seemed not possible to me, but college was always the goal,” he says.

He earned an associate’s degree from Savannah State University in high school because he didn’t think traditional college would be affordable. That all changed when he got a life-changing phone call.

“I never really considered it a real possibility until one day my mom calls me almost in tears, jumping up and down, and she’s like, ‘You got a lot of money from UGA.’”

With scholarships including Georgia Access, Georgia Incentive, HOPE, and James and Nina Jackson Georgia Commitment Scholarship, a four-year college degree became a reality.

“That’s when it became real,” he recalls. “I could really do this.”

So why not learn as much as possible?

Straughter believes you should make the most out of the chances you’re given. That’s why when people make mistakes at UGA, he wants to help them get a second chance. As the director of internal programs for the University Judiciary and an advocate in the group, Straughter can help students get back on track academically and personally.

“At that point, you’ve already gotten in trouble, but we want to put it behind you as soon as possible,” he says.