C olin Adams, ’23, just received his undergraduate degrees in economics and finance at Georgia College & State University. As he attends Florida State University to pursue his master’s and Ph.D. in economics, Adams will not forget the lessons he learned here. 

“I was lucky to be a supplemental instruction leader with the Learning Center at Georgia College,” he said. “I discovered I liked helping students by facilitating their learning and enjoyed planning for sessions—all aspects of teaching.”

Adams also developed a love for research while doing his senior capstone, and he knows from experience the impact a good mentor can have on a student.

Economics professor Dr. Chris Clark helped Adams with the Ph.D. application process, and associate professor of economics Dr. Brent Evans sparked Adams’ interest in graduate school. He had both professors for multiple classes and worked with them outside of the classroom, as well.

Clark and Evans were passionate about teaching and mentoring—something Adams plans to emulate in the classroom.

“I enjoy helping students understand economics,” Adams said. “I'm really passionate about economics and teaching students what they need to know for business or their personal lives.”

Evans coached Adams in writing a paper that resulted them receiving the MURACE grant. The associate professor mentored him through his undergraduate research and creative endeavors, which focused on predictors of NFL quarterback performance.

“Both professors bring a lot of enthusiasm into the classroom in their interactions with students,” Adams said. “They support upperclassmen in their research, as well as help them get jobs or go to graduate school.” 

Adams also participated in the Georgia College Nudge Unit—a collaboration between economics and psychology students. This also motivated him to apply for grad school.

“We focused on behavioral economics,” he said. “That's turned out to be something I wanted to do in graduate school. So, that’s the reason I'm going to Florida State University. They have a great behavioral and experimental economics program.”

“Behavioral economics helps guide people to make better decisions that they otherwise wouldn’t because of other factors,” Adams said. “This intrigues me.”

At Florida State University, Adams received the Drs. Charles and Persis Rockwood Graduate Fellowship Endowment. It’s a full-tuition waiver, plus an annual stipend.

In early August, he will take a three-week math camp before starting classes in the five-year program. In the first year he’ll study math economics, microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory and econometrics. He’ll serve as a teaching assistant, then switch to teaching and conducting research throughout the program.

Ultimately, Adams wants to be a professor.

“Ever since I was a kid,” Adams said. “I've been curious about economics, especially the research where I would try to find connections that might not always be visible. This feeds my curiosity.”