Student Profile - Kaily Garcia

LU’s Kaily Garcia fits ‘write’ in

Kaily Garcia is turning her lifelong passion for story-telling into a career.

The Beaumont sophomore cites her homeschool background as the birthplace of her love of reading and writing.

“Since extracurricular activities weren’t exactly an option, I spent much of my down time reading and I fell in love with storytelling,” recalls Garcia.

She cites her biggest influences as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis for their interesting characters and world-building abilities.

“When I was younger, I remember my mom reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien to my siblings and me, and I really got invested in the world that Tolkien built and the characters he created,” said Garcia.

She even got the opportunity to be in the shoes of Tolkien and Lewis when she traveled to Oxford, England, on a study abroad trip with the University of Mississippi.

“I got to be in the place where Tolkien and Lewis wrote and had lunch every day. It was incredible, and it is one of the best things experiences I’ve ever had,” said Garcia.

Her writing aspirations have no bounds.

“I don’t want to confine myself to one type of job,” she said. “I would love to write books of my own, but I’d also love to work as an editor for a publishing company. I want to do it all.”

At Lamar, she has gained writing experience as a tutor at Lamar University’s Writing Center and for the Cardinal Bridge Program.

“I've often heard people say that you don't really know something until you can teach it,” said Garcia. “Tutoring has definitely led me to a deeper understanding of why some things work in writing and why others don't. I will be able to use that knowledge for the rest of my life.”

One of her favorite aspects of life at Lamar are the many student organizations available.

“Every organization I am involved with is unique and I've learned different things from each one,” she said. “It seems to me that college encompasses a lot more now than when my parents went. It's about getting involved in events and serving the community and not just classes and grades. I think that what I do and learn outside the classroom will probably be just as helpful to me in my post graduate life as what I did and learned inside the classroom.”

Garcia is a sophomore senator for SGA and a Lamar Ambassador. She has also been a contributor to the university’s student newspaper, the University Press. A recipient of the Jean and Rudy Williams Excellence Scholarship, she has been on the President’s List for Fall 2016 and Spring 2017.

“Being at Lamar has been a great experience,” she said. “I am so happy to have made the connections I’ve made in two short years and am looking forward to making more.”