Rebeca Arevalo knows you don’t have to be loud to be heard. “I’m a really reserved person who doesn’t speak a lot,” says Arevalo, who is from Lawrenceville, Ga. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not dedicated in my studies. It’s my secret weapon. I’m not showy or flashy, but when it comes to academics, I guess I will prove to everyone that I’m worthy of the scholarship.”

Like all four Women’s College freshmen to be chosen a 2013-14 Brenau Scholar, Arevalo has lofty goals. She is studying early childhood education, hoping to teach in an elementary school. Ideally, Arevalo says, one day she will be working with 9- and 10-year-olds. “Actually, I’m better at speaking to children than I am with people my age or older, and I feel like I can relate to them a lot. I like to do the same things they do. I’m drawn to third- or fourth-grade-age kids. That’s the time you can really communicate with them.” While Arevalo is proud to say she may enjoy the Cartoon Network as much as someone half her age, she also enjoys crafting and creating. Arevalo served as president of her high school’s art club, and in her free time she draws or works on her own crafts.

Arevalo plans to get more involved with Brenau’s new chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha, a Hispanic sorority. She helped with her high school’s new Hispanic group by reaching out to fellow students and trying to get more minorities involved in after-school activities.