Bucket List: Aidan Thacker

I was raised on games be those card games, board games, or video games and now that I am in college, I can pursue my dream career as a game developer. I still have some goals for college before I graduate from Southern Arkansas University (SAU) that I would put on my bucket list. I applying at Obsidian Studios for an internship this summer, I would also love to study aboard, and finally get my degree. I may be a junior, but I believe I can accomplish these goals and cross off three things on my bucket list.

Once I graduate from SAU, I want to work at Bethesda Studios on their franchise the Elder Scrolls. The next Elder Scrolls game will get released around 2028, so I want to try my best to get accepted and be able to work on that project. After playing Skyrim in 2013, I knew I wanted to make video games for people to enjoy. That is why I am here at SAU, and as Dr. Parks said about gaining an advantage over others by joining the Honors College should make me stand out when I apply to Bethesda.

Also, after my graduation I am going to explore Europe and Asia. My high school friends and I plan to take a graduation trip somewhere. We are currently looking at Japan. I also plan to leave my home state of Arkansas. I know others love Arkansas, but I want to see the world and do not want to stay in this state forever.

Bucket List: Logan Barnett

 As someone who is working towards one day being an engineer, my most important goals right now are to stay on top of my classes during my time at SAU and search for internship or assistant research opportunities when I am ready to take them on. I want to learn as much as I can about the world of engineering and hit the ground running after I get a degree in Bachelor of Science in engineering. I hope to continue growing my ideas through my independent reading as well because I have a few interests in other subjects such as philosophy. 

Taking a step away from my scholastic goals, I really want to pursue my hobby in training and fitness because it keeps my mind clear; I feel mentally my best when I'm physically at my best. Some friends and I recently have been more exposed to fishing and hunting. So, I plan on dipping my toes into that hobby with them as well. That would be a new way for me to spend time with my friends. 

Another thing that I’ve always wanted to do is visit Hawaii because it is a place my father has always talked about visiting ever since I was little. 

Overall, I just want to experience life and discover new hobbies while pursuing the ones I currently have.  I hope one day to settle down and start a family while living a life free of regrets.

Bucket List: Garrett Hughes

I’d like to travel outside the country, preferably to Norway or Finland.

I want to become a track & field Olympian. I would like to compete at the highest level of competition, pushing myself to new heights, and running against the best of the best while having fun!

I’d like to get married, have a life-changing wedding, and have 5 kids after marriage. I’d love to be a father and teach my kids the things my dad has taught me and watch them grow every day.

I want to graduate college with a bachelor’s degree, then go to graduate school and get my master’s degree.

I’d like to find a way to intertwine my engineering major into architecture. Before engineering, I really wanted to be an architect. That is still a goal so I would like to combine the things I am being taught in engineering and use them for architecture.

I want to give back to the community in any way I can. I love to serve, and I want to make a positive impact on the community I’m around and be able to help people around the world. I want to help change lives for the better, doing the little things that will lead to great change!

I’d like to have a house of my own and move in together with my wife.

I want me and my wife to have good stable jobs that would not have me nor my family moving a lot to where me and my family can grow up around the same community of people instead of moving around 24/7.

I’d like to remain the happy, content person I am and not let what others say or do dictate my attitude or the things I desire to do! 

Bucket List: Gibson Dyess

 I intend to eventually graduate Southern Arkansas University with a four-year degree in my major, which is Biology (Pre-Med). However, while I am here, I want to increase my experience and strengthen my resume through shadowing hours, the SAU Pre-Health Club, and through my professors. This would give me a higher probability of getting accepted into graduate school. I do not know exactly what I want my career to be. I am currently contemplating whether to be a P.A. (Physician’s Assistant) or to go further, enter med school, and become a pediatric doctor. 

Over the summer, I plan to work at a Christian summer camp called “Camp Deer Run.” I have gone there as a camper every summer since I was around 5 years old; now my turn to share about Jesus to a new generation of kids and teens who want to learn about Christ. It would not only allow me to do the work of God and spread the Good News, but it would also allow me to meet people with a similar major to me at a different school, allowing me to expand my horizons in my field. However, it would also give me experience in taking care of kids. 

Although a summer camp southeast of Winnsboro, Texas is nowhere close to the same environment as a pediatric clinic, I believe it is still a great way to get experience in taking care of kids. I hope I can stay healthy and hungry for knowledge during my tenure at SAU, so that I can achieve all of the goals listed above.

Bucket List: Maelee Player

 My bucket list starts off pretty obviously by graduating college. As of now, my plan is to graduate with my bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and then get into a Doctor of Physical Therapy program. My ultimate scholarly goal, to be honest, is to be able to finish all of my schooling debt free. 

Moving on to my personal goals, I would love to get married and be a mom. Being a mom and wife is something I have dreamed of since I was a kid. I truly am excited for this time of life that I hope is coming up. 

The biggest item on my bucket list is to travel. My mom always said that I have a gypsy heart; she was very right in this since. I’m always daydreaming about my next adventure, whether that be to a national park across the country or to a castle across the world. 

I find true beauty within God’s Creation: nature. I love being able to see all spectra of nature, and it is one of my goals to be able to witness firsthand every biome we have on this beautiful planet. Probably the place I want to go the most is Egypt. I grew up watching Egyptian movies and reading books on Egyptian mythology, so I think it would be the coolest thing to visibly see these things we only hear about in stories or see in pictures. 

Finally, I hope to be able to live my life with as little what ifs and regrets as possible and just keep looking forward to what God has planned for me.

Bucket List: Trilla Richardson

The main thing I want to achieve on my bucket list is obtaining my future job as an ER physician. A few short-term goals include, making all A’s throughout my first semester here at SAU, stepping out of my comfort zone while at college, meeting new people from all different types of backgrounds, and taking time to get to know each one of my professors. I remind myself every day that achieving these small goals brings me closer and closer to my dream. After my time here at SAU, I would like to be accepted into the medical program at UAMS. This is my dream medical school because of how close it is to home!  

    Another topic on my bucket list is marriage. I want to meet my best friend and have a beautiful life with him! I want someone driven, smart, and hardworking. I want us to achieve some goals on our bucket lists together! Along with marriage I would like to have two or three children. I want to raise them to be even better than me. I want them to be hardworking, kind, and loving towards others. I can’t wait to have my own little family one day.

    In this list I wanted to include some fun goals as well. I want to travel to every state in the US! I love seeing all the beautiful scenery Earth has to offer. Another goal I want to achieve is to sing more often. Growing up I always sang at talent shows, school events, and at church. After getting to college, I lost a lot of these opportunities. It is my goal to get back into my hobby and sing at talent shows, and different events SAU has to offer.

Bucket List: Mercy McGee

My goals range from short term to long term and very in attainableness. Here’s what I could think of :)

• Gain [more] fluency in ASL and use it daily
• Make or find an ASL club on campus
• Become comfortable speaking Spanish
• Find a job that I’m happy in
• Experience a variety of working environments to gain a better understanding of what I want to do.  
• Obtain my master’s in education and my teacher’s certification
• Experience working in an elementary/daycare environment
• Find a place that I am happy to live in. Ever since my dad moved us down to the south, I’ve been searching for somewhere northern that’s more affordable than my home state of Alaska. There aren’t many opportunities in AK, but I love it with my whole heart, and I have a lot of family up there.
• Related to the previous, I want to have enough money to “snowbird” (verb referring when people live in AK during the summers and move back down during the winters. Though, I do miss the winters too. They’re very snowy!)
• Learn to crochet
• Learn to make plushies and fashion/art dolls
• Learn to make fursuits
• Make my own Neocities site. I don’t know what about, I just think it would be fun to learn JavaScript.
• Learn piano and obtain a keyboard
• Create a fully developed song (I write lyrics, but I don’t know how to compose, so I would have to learn instrumental!)
• Display an art piece of mine in a gallery

This list is not comprehensive, but I don’t think a finite list could ever contain everything I want to do in my life. Thank you for reading!