Serving as a student leader at Arkansas Tech University has provided Joy Skaggs with a chance to consider the world around her and how she can make it better during her lifetime.
“Given the nature of what I’ve seen, we seem to be suffering from people not being willing to think about things from a different perspective,” said Skaggs. “It’s very easy because we’re self-focused…naturally, we see the world through our eyes. It’s more difficult to step back and realize this person is thinking this thing because they have this background…this is how they grew up. Getting involved with clubs…you have to work with people, which gives you a wonderful opportunity to understand why someone might be acting the way they are and to make a better future by working together. The more perspectives we have, the better the future will be.”
Skaggs, a junior from Russellville, was selected by the ATU Center for Student Engagement and First-Gen Success as the November 2025 ATU student leader of the month.
A graduate of Russellville High School, Skaggs chose Arkansas Tech in part because it provided her the opportunity to remain close to and supportive of her younger sister’s activities while she is in high school.
The decision was clinched when Skaggs learned about ATU’s scholarship offerings.
“ATU has my favorite scholarship program because the amount of money we get back if we have extra money for tuition…there’s not really any other colleges in Arkansas that offer that,” said Skaggs. “There might be one or two, but they are far away and I couldn’t be close to my family.”
Skaggs said the best part of ATU is the faculty.
“The professors here are always very supportive,” said Skaggs. “I love my physics professors. There are four of them (Dr. Hamed Shojaei, Dr. Jessica Young, Dr. Amber Harrington and Dr. Matthew Hankins), and they all care very much about their subject. I can always walk up to them whenever and ask them about the most random things.”
Skaggs serves as president of the ATU Math Club and the ATU Society of Physics Students. She is historian for the Educators Rising chapter at ATU, chair of the academic enrichment committee for ATU Honors and a member of ATU Presidential Leadership Cabinet, ATU Chess Club, ATU History Club, InterVarsity, Chi Alpha and the Alpha Chi honor society.
“It’s getting to do something that I didn’t necessarily previously get the opportunity to do,” said Skaggs. “Like, the math club, that I am president of, did not exist last year. It had died during the days of COVID, and I decided we should have a math club again. Now we have math Monday every week where we talk about a fun math topic.”
A three-time national champion, Skaggs has been recognized as best in the country as part of the 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. competition, in an ethical dilemma presentation at the 2025 Educators Rising conference and for her art at a physics and astronomy congress hosted by the American Institute of Physics earlier this year.
“The most successful people, I think, are the most well-rounded people,” said Skaggs. “I can know math and I can get a job as a statistician, but if I don’t know how to talk to people, make things marketable or have a creative aspect to it to reach people, I either have to hire someone else to do those things, which costs money, or I’m missing out on a resource that I can tap into.”
Learning how to let go has been Skaggs’ biggest leadership challenge.
“Delegation is something I struggle with,” said Skaggs. “I have a vision and I have the ability to do things myself, but it’s also a lot of work. So, I’m trying to give things to other people for them to do it, but then that communication part is what I struggle with. I don’t want to over-communicate and bother someone, but if I don’t ever talk to them, they’re not going to know what I want. So, it’s figuring out that balance of how to make sure it gets done the way you know is best, but also giving people the freedom to do what they want without micromanaging.”
Skaggs plans on utilizing the variety of skills she is developing at ATU as a K-12 physics teacher.
“I like school, and I also like teaching people,” said Skaggs. “So, I wanted to be a teacher, but I didn’t know what subject. Then I took Calculus in high school, and I thought it was very fun. The teacher I had, Jennifer Lachowsky…she taught math in a way I had never experienced before, and she made me all the better a mathematician for it. We need more teachers like her, especially because there’s a shortage of math and science teachers right now. I see a need for that. I want to fill that need.”
