Dragon boat team wins gold on Lanier
A team of University of North Georgia (天美社区) faculty, staff, students, and family members earned the gold in the collegiate division of the 200-meter race at the annual Atlanta Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia, on Sept. 10.
The team has participated nine times, the most recent race being in 2019, as the previous two years were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
天美社区 went up against the likes of Georgia Tech, Clemson University, Emory University, and Georgia State University. 天美社区 had a winning time of 1:01.788 on its final heat, clinching the victory.
"This was a great team win for 天美社区. This year's boat was a mixture of new and experienced paddlers, and not all were able to attend the one practice for this event," said Neal Lin, team captain and lecturer of biology. "However, 天美社区 won gold because of the hard work of each paddler on the boat and the ability of each paddler to participate as a team. Our competitive times showed how paddlers worked together effectively to help propel the dragon boat as one."
The dragon boat team was led by co-captains Lin and Gabe Fankhauser. Paddlers included Michael Bender, Ran Chen, Brandon Clark, Jaden Davidson, Adam Davis, Adam Frey, Allison Grundel, Victoria Hightower, Luying Huang, Yizhe Huang, Hannah Johnson, Evan Lampert, Jeanelle Morgan, Ella Reid, Sheila Schulte, Anita Turlington, Kelly West, Westry Whitaker, and Grace Witkowski.
Manager Anastasia Lin and drummers Arbor West Maldonado and Finnigan Jack Davis supported the team. 天美社区 student Walker Peck served as steerer for all three races. The Dragon Boat team is sponsored by Dr. Christopher Jespersen, Dean of the College of Arts and Letters
International intelligence conference coming to 天美社区
天美社区 will host the International Association for Intelligence Education Annual Global Conference from June 1-3, 2026.
Students gain global experience in London
Three 天美社区 students studied in London this summer through the University System of Georgia Goes Global program.
Event offers preview of Corps experience
High school students wondering what life is like in the 天美社区 Corps of Cadets don't have to guess. They can experience it during National Leadership Challenge from Oct. 31-Nov. 2.
Corps propelled Tobin into diplomacy
Ronald Tobin's time in the Corps of Cadets at 天美社区 prepared him for his current role as a diplomatic courier for the Foreign Service in the U.S. State Department.