Phebe Dowels came to Georgia Perimeter College straight from a small high school because she wanted to start at a college with small class sizes. But there is nothing small about Dowels’ accomplishments at GPC.

In 2010, Dowels shared the Cole auditorium stage with guest of honor President Jimmy Carter, delivering opening remarks for the dedication of the Atlanta Center for Civic Engagement and Service Learning on GPC’s Clarkston Campus. She served as Georgia Perimeter’s first Student Government Association community service chair, successfully launching that role into a college-wide position.

A journalism major, Dowels kept students informed as an editor for the college’s award-winning newspaper, the Collegian, and worked hard to launch the paper’s first television news program. Dowels also participated in the Women and Girls Internship Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she learned how her skills might be applied in the field of transportation.

She was incredibly busy, but still maintained a 3.6 GPA, and was named the Regents Outstanding Scholar finalist for GPC’s Decatur Campus. Dowels graduated from Georgia Perimeter College on May 4, 2012, earning her associate degree in journalism. She plans to attend Georgia State University to complete her bachelor’s degree in journalism.