Caroline Brinson, who says she was born to be a Georgia Bulldog, is the definition of a student-athlete. Not only is she among the best college tennis players in the country, she’s compiled an impressive resume of academic honors.
She answered the following questions for UGA’s “Amazing Student” web series.
Hometown:
New Orleans, Louisiana
High School:
Academy of the Sacred Heart
Degree objective:
BBA in marketing
Other degrees:
Certificate in legal studies
Expected graduation:
December 2017
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
— University of Georgia Division I Women’s Tennis Team Full-Scholarship Athlete
— Member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee
— Member of the University of Georgia Leadership Academy (selected by UGA Athletics administration)
— Recipient of Barbara Hartman Howell Scholarship (2014-15) and Doyle E. Mote Scholarship (2015-16, 2016-17)
— University of Georgia dean’s list spring 2014, 2015
— J. Parker Reid Director of Athletics Honor Roll spring 2014, 2015
— Southeastern Conference Athletic Honor Roll Recipient 2014-2015, 2015-2016
— Southeastern Conference Community Service Team Member 2015-2016
— Obtained highest personal ranking of No. 22 within the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women’s Division I Singles Rankings; currently ranked No. 35
— Named to the SEC All Second Team 2015-2016
— Selected as SEC Player of the Week February 2015
— Member of the Final Four Championship Team spring 2015
Current Employment:
Student-Athlete
Family Ties to UGA:
My mother, Elizabeth Brinson, was a member of the UGA women’s tennis team from 1988-89; she and I played under the same head coach, Jeff Wallace. My father, Steve Brinson, was a rugby player of note at UGA. My grandfather, Vernon Brinson, was a member of the UGA baseball team from 1958-59. And my uncle, Mike Brinson, was a member of the UGA 1980 National Championship football team.
I chose to attend UGA because…
I was born to be a Georgia Bulldog! With many family members having attended UGA and most of them being involved with athletics, it was always my dream to end up here one day. When it became clear that I had collegiate tennis aspirations, Georgia became an even bigger dream. The opportunity to play for a consistently top 10 team in the country and for that school to be Georgia felt like the dream could not get any better for me. Then, it became reality!
My favorite things to do on campus are…
… going to the football games in the fall, walking through North Campus to the Starbucks downtown in between classes, and taking occasional stops in the bookstore to check out new gear.
When I have free time, I like…
… to experiment with cooking new recipes, play the piano and hang out with my teammates, friends and family.
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
… jump back into the water from a boat in the Bahamas when we were told there was a shark. We were out snorkeling, and I was dying to see a shark. Little did I know I would soon be swimming with one!
My favorite place to study is…
… the third-floor reading room at the MLC. It is so quiet in there and really keeps me focused.
My favorite professor is…
I am enjoying Kevin Ellis in the Terry College of Business this semester. I have him every day of the week because I am in two of his classes, and he keeps me very engaged. He came from the business world before becoming a faculty member, and he has really impressive experience from which he can share great knowledge.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
I would like to have another afternoon to spend with my grandmother and grandfather who passed away a few years back. They are my only close family members who I have lost, and I wish that I had more time with them.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
… try anything and everything. I am already a fairly adventurous person, but I feel I would have no fear of any boundary if the fear of failing did not exist.
If money was not a consideration, I would love to…
… travel around the world. I have never been out of the country yet, but this summer I am going to Italy! I am so excited, and I hope to explore more countries throughout my lifetime.
What is your passion and how are you committed to pursuing it?
I have a passion for the sport of tennis as well as a passion for helping others. I am currently pursuing my passion of playing tennis at the University of Georgia, and I am able to use the resources provided to student-athletes to help serve others while playing the sport I love.
After graduation, I plan to…
… attend graduate school for an MBA and possibly a law degree as well.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
My freshman year, and my first season playing on the team, we went to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech. The rivalry is just as big or bigger in tennis as it is in any other sport with Georgia Tech. Our team showed up to play some serious tennis, and we got the 4 points to clinch/win the overall match very quickly. However, that day, the coaches decided to play all of the singles matches out to the finish. All of my teammates finished and we were sweeping Tech 6-0, but I was the last match remaining on court. All the attention shifted to my court, and in my first dual match as a Bulldog, we came out on top 7-0! That was the most exciting first experience I had at UGA, and I will never forget it!