In the summer of 2014, I worked part-time in my Nanny’s (grandmother) beauty shop shampooing, rinsing and sweeping hair for her in this tiny little building beside her house in rural Cherokee County, Georgia (about 1 hour north of Atlanta). The elderly women who came to get their hair done had been her customers for up to 40 years, and they had relationships similar those portrayed in the movie Steel Magnolias. I was fascinated when they talked about various people getting their illnesses conjured by people and asked many questions about the subject. My curiosity continued for a couple of years until I graduated from high school; I had continued to ask and learn more about conjuring whenever the subject came up. With an interest in the Appalachian culture in which I grew up, I wanted to pursue doing serious research on the subject.
Planning to attend a world class liberal arts university, I hesitantly attended a Shadow Day for admitted students at the Ivan Allen College at Georgia Tech. The program included comments from Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Dr. John Tone, who introduced himself as a specialist and teacher in the History of Medicine and Disease. After the program, I spoke with him about my interest in conjuring and conducting research about it. He encouraged me to consider Georgia Tech and opened my eyes to the unique opportunities of studying liberal arts at a technical university. After some deliberation and the offer of a research internship with Dean Tone, I became a student at Georgia Tech. It has turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made because of the tremendous support and guidance I have received that allowed me to accomplish every goal I had dreamed for this research project.