Q&A with Scholarship Winner Featuring Bryn Hammock

Bryn Hammock

Bryn Hammock is the $8,000 scholarship winner from Buford, Georgia. She will be a Pre-Med, Auburn University student this fall and is the founder of Tiny Hugs.

Describe how you felt when learning you were the recipient of the What’s Ne[x]t scholarship.

I was shocked. I knew there would be a lot of great candidates for the award. I just felt humbled that Georgia’s Own thought so highly of my project.

You mentioned you have been a life-long fan of Auburn University. How excited are you to attend this fall?

I am so excited. I was born into an Auburn family and have been going to football games there since birth. I have family in the area and it feels like a second home to me, which should make the transition easier. I knew going out of state would be a challenge financially, and the Georgia’s Own award really helps me cut down on that cost.

What are you most looking forward to doing, seeing, or participating in at Auburn University?

I want to be active on campus and in the community in numerous ways from volunteering to supporting Auburn at sporting events. I plan to get started by going through sorority recruitment in early August, so I’m looking forward to that. I’ve already connected with my three roommates, and I’m excited to spend time with them.

You are a pre-med major. Is there a specific area of medicine you would like to practice?

I am pretty wide open at this point, but I’ve always had an interest in the medical field. I want to explore a number of options in the healthcare industry, but my biggest passion is working with children.

Your passion for healthcare and babies is evident in your Tiny Hugs project. Can you tell us more about how you came up with the idea for Tiny Hugs?

I heard about the success of a similar product from a family friend, and some are available for purchase, but they are expensive. I wanted to donate Tiny Hugs to hospitals to keep new parents from having to spend money on something that helps their premature babies. This was particularly necessary during the COVID pandemic, when I worked on my project.

"I am so thankful that Georgia’s Own can " help me and other students with our college education as we work toward our future goals. It means so much to see the Credit Union making that kind of impact in our community." - Bryn

How did it feel to increase your goal, and to sew and distribute more than 100 Tiny Hugs across Georgia?

It was surprising and satisfying to see how quickly things spread from my initial goal. You always wonder how something like that will be received, which made it so rewarding that the number of Tiny Hugs produced grew so quickly and that it spread from my local hospital to seven other hospitals in Georgia.

What is your plan to continue the Tiny Hugs project?

My team has been able to continue production of the Tiny Hugs when they have been requested. We were approached this week to make another donation of Tiny Hugs for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Can you share more with us on the impact Tiny Hugs had during COVID?

Visitation to hospitals was so limited during the pandemic for all patients, and that was the case for new parents and their NICU babies. Parents were limited to two hours with their babies, so Tiny Hugs filled that void. They cradle the babies as if they’re being held, promoting growth and development during those tough times. Also, Tiny Hugs can take on the scent of a parent, which is comforting to the babies when they can’t be held by mom or dad.

How do you balance your education, community service, and all of the other programs you are a part of?

It took a lot of scheduling to make sure I was on top of things. Education always came first, but I made sure to carve out time for volunteer work, sports, family, and so many other things. I probably didn’t get all the sleep I needed a lot of days, but it was worth it in the end.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Hopefully, working a job that makes me happy in the medical field. Like I said before, ideally working in some way to help children. Being happily married and having children of my own are important to me down the road, too.

What advice would you give seniors preparing for college?

Put in the work at the high school level and that will open doors for you at top colleges. GPA and test scores matter, but so do community service and extracurricular activities. My advice would be to go with your heart and go to the place where you will be happy. My heart has always been in Auburn.

Tell us a fun fact that most people would not know about you.

I really love all things horror. I love watching horror movies and going to haunted houses during Halloween season. It’s something that most people don’t expect me to like from looking at me.

Baby Emilia in the NICU with her Tiny Hug.