Student Spotlight: Amy Hardy

Last fall, St. Philip’s College student Amy Hardy was considering dropping out of college. Then, she got a call from her Spanish professor, Spencer Galvan, who offered her a grant-funded position as a research assistant for the Extended Reality Initiative - a team of faculty and students at SPC who work together to introduce new technology into the teaching and learning experience.  

“At first, I didn’t realize the difference between St. Philip’s and the past colleges I attended. The previous schools I went to marked off my attendance and saw me as a number, but SPC was different. Assistant Professor Galvan saw my potential and offered me an opportunity that changed my education trajectory and helped build my confidence,” said Amy.

Just a year later, Amy proudly represented SPC at the Converge 2023 Conference in Baltimore, which is mostly attended by students in graduate programs. The conference brings together individuals from academia, industry, the non-profit sector, government, and communities.

Amy presented two sessions on her research findings for the ImmerseMe Spanish program that tracked student motivation factors and engagement rates. After the conference, Amy received several accolades from graduate research peers and offers to continue her research studies at several universities.  

“She’s such a gem. I’m so glad she stayed at the college. SPC would be missing out on so much,” said Assistant Professor Spencer Galvan.

Amy will graduate in May 2024 with her Associate of Arts degree pre-majoring in Business Administration.