Student Spotlight - Cameron Galloway

Name: Cameron Galloway

Hometown: Paducah, Kentucky

Classification: Class of 2021

Major: Social work, with a minor in criminal justice 

Why Kentucky State? 

I chose Kentucky State because the environment made me feel welcomed at all times. I had a sense of family from the students, administration and the 2017-2018 Kentucky State track and field team – which truly allowed me to start a new family that I would’ve otherwise just called a team. 

What is your major and why did you choose this area of study? 

I am a social work major because I have the lived experience of being in foster care since I was two years old. I have now overcome the systematic limitations that foster youth often go through and the stereotypes that are placed on our lives. I now want to show them that they too can overcome with dedication and the ability to be resilient. With those two traits, they will be able to accept and embrace their past for what it is and use that to light a fire underneath and show others they are bigger than the small goals others create for them. 

Who inspires you and why?

My mother inspires me because she’s had far from an easy life, but she is still here today to show her kids that it doesn’t matter when you want to change your life around; it’s simply just making the decision to do it. 

What do you plan to do when you graduate?

I plan on getting my master’s in social work which will only take me a year, but I still haven’t decided which university I will attend. I want to keep it in the HBCU family but I’m still searching for a way to get it paid for. I then will go on to attend the Army’s Basic Officer Leader Course for Medical Services and become a social worker in the Army for the National Guard. In my civilian career my desired job will be to work with youth ages 16-21 in the independent living side of foster care. I will also explore motivational speaking and mentoring organizations. 

Words to live by: 

Don’t use your past as a hindrance; use it as a ladder to go above and beyond what you could’ve imagined.