Brandin Carter ’25 came to Berry as a Leadership and Service Fellowship Scholar and eagerly embraced opportunities, from leadership to internships.
He engaged in ways to positively influence his community — including working with Solidarity Week, an initiative that emphasizes the Good Neighbor Culture at Berry. Drawing from a familiar line in the Gettysburg Address, he says, “Although we often say, ‘all men are created equal,’ this is a principle we must work to uphold in our communities.”
Brandin also took on roles with the admission office and eventually served as the student director of operations and training. He managed a student staff of 40 and saw leadership in a new light. He says, “Rather than being about titles and positions, I now see it’s more about who a person is internally.”
Strong mentoring by faculty and staff provided support throughout Brandin’s college career. He says Associate Professor of Political Science Michael Bailey was always attentive: “Once, I was having a tough week. I didn’t tell him in class, but he knew something was off. Afterward, I received an email saying he was in my corner and always available if I needed him.”
Danny Price, Berry’s in-house legal counsel, offered Brandin an internship so he could explore a career path as an attorney. Assisting Price with legal writing and contracts enabled him to put coursework into practice.
He urges students to pursue internships early in their college career. “We all want a sense of belonging, so it’s easy to take a profession at face value and romanticize it,” he notes. “But to see all a job entails in practice is important. With an internship, you walk away with tangible insight.”
Brandin also observed that internships reinforce Berry-built skills — communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, empathy, collaboration and adaptability. These abilities are vital to professional growth while preparing students to meet the Berry mission of leading and serving in their communities after graduation.
