University of South Carolina Aiken Athletics

There’s nothing like putting ones self out there to be the absolute best that he or she can be. To have and reach goals, there must be a process in place for one to do so. The University of South Carolina Aiken dance team has a student on the squad that is ahead of her time in her thoughts, thought process, drive and determination. By having a plan in place to reach her goals, rookie Morgan Bookstaver has started off her collegiate career in fine fashion.

A native of North Augusta, S.C., Bookstaver attended Fox Creek H.S. before embarking upon her collegiate career at USC Aiken.
 
While at Fox Creek H.S., she continued to pursue her dancing career while working equally as hard in the classroom.

“Growing up, my parents really stressed the importance of having good grades,” Bookstaver said. “Academics have always been important to me. I tried really hard in school and it happened that I was at the top of my class in elementary and middle school and I really wanted to graduate as the valedictorian.

“Coming in to USC Aiken, I was No. 1 in the freshman class at the Freshman Convocation – and I want to try and be No. 1 when I graduate.”

Bookstaver received an academic scholarship that covers half her tuition and was awarded the Palmetto Fellows, which completely covers the rest of her expenses.

“It’s great to have school paid for while also being able to dance at the collegiate level,” she stated. “I want to continue to dance for four years and by having tuition and expenses paid for, I feel fortunate that I don’t have to spend money on my education until graduate school.”

Despite having her tuition paid for, Bookstaver has to stay on top of her grades and any other activities she chooses, including being on the dance team.

“Time management helps me out a great deal,” she stated. “College in general is very time intensive, especially with dance involved. I have to plan and pick a day to work on something and really work hard to get it done. Recently, I had three papers due on the same day. I’ve learned not to wait until the week they are due to start doing the papers – since I stayed up until 3:30 a.m., in order to get them done. I’ve also learned not to let things pile up at the end of the semester.”

Since Bookstaver enjoys a challenge, it makes sense that she took on dance in addition to her education.

“Managing my time comes naturally, but I still have to work hard at something until it’s completed,” Bookstaver said. “Sometimes it’s challenging to have dance classes, a test and then dance practice. However, I have learned to study ahead of time and I’ve learned to plan around the busy parts of my schedule. I still have several late nights, but it is worth it in the end.”

Bookstaver’s family support is outstanding as she says her parents are her best friends. She knows when things become overwhelming that she needs to take a break, forgetting school and focusing on herself. That way, Bookstaver is able to re-assess what she is working on and put forth 100 percent effort.
 
Bookstaver’s first performance of the school year will go down as one of her most memorable moments at USC Aiken.

“I was so excited to perform at Pacer Madness,” Bookstaver said. “It was my first college performance and to see all the students there supporting the school and cheer on the team was outstanding. There was a lot of energy from the fans and it made it a great time to perform in front of them.”

Growing up, Bookstaver started her road toward being on the dance team at the youthful age of three.

“Dancing makes me really happy because it lets me be an athlete and an artist at the same time,” Bookstaver said.

The multi-talented student took on a wealth of genres including jazz, hip-hop, ballet, point, tap, lyrical and contemporary growing up.

Although she’s on the dance team at USC Aiken, Bookstaver still takes dance classes outside of her busy schedule at USC Aiken.

“I like point the best because it’s hard,” Bookstaver mentioned. “It takes a lot of work to get good at it and improve. I’m currently in my eighth year of doing point – and I’m still taking lessons at Burns Dance Studio.

“I don’t want to stop dancing after college,” Bookstaver continued. “I’m not sure what I would pursue after college, but it depends on where I am and what opportunities I have. I definitely want to keep dancing – and I want to keep doing point as long as I can.”

Prior to graduating in 2019 with a degree in exercise and sports science, Bookstaver wants to stay on task in the classroom and on the dance team.

“I want to have a 4.0 GPA when I graduate,” she stated. “I want the dance team to win the Peach Belt Conference, but I don’t want that to be our only goal. I want to focus on improving as a team – and that’s the same for me. I don’t have a specific goal, but I want to keep pushing myself because I can always improve. There’s always something more I could be doing.”

With the type of attitude and forward thinking that Bookstaver possesses, the dance team should thrive with her on it over the next 3.5 seasons. In the classroom, she will not doubt be among the top students heading into her senior year. Bookstaver will continue to do what she always does – finding a way to excel in everything that she accomplishes, which should be a joy to see not only for her but also everyone around her.