As the new semester begins, students and teachers at Averett University are setting their sights on personal, academic, and athletic goals for the year 2025. With fresh ambitions and renewed motivation, individuals across campus are looking to make meaningful progress in their education, careers, and personal development.

For many students, academic success remains the primary focus. Whether it’s improving GPA, mastering a challenging subject, having effective time management or preparing for graduate school, students are establishing clear plans to achieve their goals. Junior student Madison Masoudpour, majoring in sports medicine shared her ambitions.

“A big challenge for me this semester will be time management as I am taking 6 classes while also working full time and playing golf,” Masoudpour said. “To overcome this I will be using my calendar and schedule to balance my free time, and set times to dedicate to just school.”

Not only is academic excellence a priority, but athletic ambitions also drive students to push their limits. Senior Martin Guyot, majoring in business is determined to make his final season memorable by striving for a conference championship in tennis.

“Winning the conference has been my goal since my first year,” Guyot said. “This season, I want to give everything I have to make it happen.”

Similarly, teachers are striving for excellence in their teaching methodologies and curriculum development. Dr. Jennifer A. Hughes associate professor and director of the Honors Program emphasized her goal of enhancing her teaching methods in the classroom.

“My goal is to make students realize how useful it can be to bring an analytical and appreciative understanding of language to your career,” Hughes said. “Any high-level thinker should recognize spin, slant, and bias when they see it. As they grow into leaders in their field, they also need to know how to compose and speak clearly, powerfully, and responsibly.”

However, there are also challenges that educators face in their pursuit of excellence. Integrating new technologies into the curriculum while ensuring that students develop critical thinking and communication skills remains a complex task.

“I think that AI is an amazing tool, but it has lots of pitfalls (corpus limitations, privacy issues, etc.). We have to learn how to wield it in many aspects of our work,” Hughes said. “That takes practice and wisdom.”

In addition to setting individual goals, students are finding creative ways to visualize their aspirations for the year. The freshman girls in Main Hall recently gathered for a vision board night, where they crafted collages representing their academic, personal, and athletic ambitions. For freshman Sunna Maas, an international student from Germany, the event was a chance to reflect on her journey at Averett and set her intentions for the future.

“Creating a vision board helped me put my goals into perspective,” Maas said. “As an international student, adjusting to a new environment can be overwhelming, but this night reminded me to focus on what I want to achieve—both in my studies and in making new connections.”

Whether through academic achievements, athletic success, or personal development, the Averett community remains committed to striving for excellence. With determination, support, and a clear vision for the future, students and educators embrace 2025 with purpose and enthusiasm, ready to turn their aspirations into reality.