'The reality of life is so amazing'
-- Susan Waters

By Brian S. Armstrong
Staff Writer

When one thinks of an English person, oftentimes stereotypical characters like James Bond or Austin Powers come to mind.       Georgia Highlands College student Susan Waters is not a stereotypical “Brit” by any definition of the word. She is a very modest woman with specific goals, the ambition to achieve her goals and a great general outlook on life.       She was born in Bath, England. Her birthplace is named Bath because of the natural hot springs that were made into hot baths by the Romans. She received her United States citizenship in January 2002. She now shares dual citizenship with England and the United States.       While still in England, Waters enrolled in a nursing midwifery course. Shortly after, she decided to drop the course and soon was married and had a family. She put her college career on hold in favor of taking care of her two children.       Waters moved to the United States in 1982. Originally, she lived in Marietta, where she worked as a pre-school teacher and an assistant art director.       She remembers how much different the United States seemed compared to Britain. For example, it was not logical to walk to the store here, as it had been in Bath. Waters said that people always would ask if she needed help when she was walking down the street because they were not accustomed to seeing people walk.       Because of her late mother's illness, Waters spent a great deal of time studying medical books. Trying to learn more about her mother's sickness caused her to become more engrossed in biology and in learning about medicine.       Feeling that her children no longer needed her in the same capacity as they once did, she thought it was time to try college again. She is currently studying biology and has a 4.0 GPA.       Her future plans include transferring to Shorter College in the fall of 2002. She has received the presidential scholarship to Shorter College, where she has been accepted into the pre-med program.       Another one of her passions is art. “In high school my focus was on art and biology, seemingly divergent fields, yet art explores the emotions and experiences of life, while biology depicts it scientifically,” said Waters.       Waters spent many years as a freelance artist. She has created many pieces of art for family members and friends. She creates Christmas and birthday cards, as well as beautifully formed sculptures and gorgeous paintings.       She painted a mural in the library of Goodyear Elementary School in Rockmart. The mural was dedicated to her late friend who was the principal of that school.       According to Waters, giving time to one's self is important. Also, she feels that lonely walks and silence are a good source of inspiration.       “Most people don't seem to realize the incredible position we are in just being alive,” said Waters with her trademark British accent.       She added, “Life seems to be overlooked…nobody seems to look at the insect crawling along…it's just something to squish…The reality of life is so amazing.” Copyrighted © 1999-2001 Six Mile Post All Rights Reserved