Mississippi is Where It’s At
When Julia Vancura began her college search, she had the credentials to be selective. A National Merit Semifinalist with a perfect GPA, she explored universities across the South and around the country. But despite growing up more than 1,500 miles from Oxford, one university stood apart—not because of its location or traditions, but because of the people.
Looking back, Vancura can pinpoint the exact moment her decision truly began.
It all started with a conversation with Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management Eduardo Prieto in her hometown of Las Vegas.
"It first started when I met Eduardo," Vancura said. "He told me about the scholarships and academics."
Prieto arranged meetings with Dean Ethel Scurlock of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and Director Sovent Taylor of the Health Professions Advising Office, giving Vancura and her parents an opportunity to learn more about the university and the opportunities available to her.
"He went above and beyond," she said. "My parents met Eduardo, and the experience didn't compare to any other college we visited."
It didn’t stop there. Her impression only grew stronger when Chancellor Glenn Boyce visited Las Vegas and took time to meet with her personally.
"He spent 15 to 20 minutes visiting with me," Vancura said. "This isn't a place where I'm going to be just a number."
For Vancura, those personal connections mattered. Growing up as the ninth of ten children, she learned early how to build relationships with people of different personalities, perspectives and stages of life.
"It's a little crazy, but you definitely get to see all aspects of life," she said. "I've learned how to deal with people and different situations really well and how to work and get along with people even while disagreeing."
That perspective also gave her confidence to forge her own path.
"(My siblings) have gone to college all over the country and wanted me to join them," she said. "But I said, 'I don't know—I think Mississippi is where it's at.'"
Whether through athletics, leadership or her faith community, Vancura has spent her high school years embracing new experiences.
One of those experiences ultimately helped shape her future. The summer before her senior year, she completed 90 hours of shadowing with a Las Vegas orthodontist.
"I was always unsure of what path to take professionally," she said. "That cemented it for me that this is what I want to pursue."
Now entering the Honors College this fall, Vancura plans to major in biology before attending dental school and ultimately becoming an orthodontist.
When she imagines herself walking across the graduation stage four years from now, she hopes she'll be proud of more than her academic accomplishments.
"I hope I'll be headed in a good direction professionally," she said. "But I also hope to be proud of the people I've surrounded myself with."