By Austin Birchell (B.A. ’20)
When Shira Solomon (B.S. ’21), who identifies by the pronouns they/them, arrived at Georgia State and first stepped inside a lecture hall, the scene was a reminder of something only seen onscreen.
Having graduated from the Atlanta Jewish Academy with fewer than 30 students in their class, attending Georgia’s largest university could have been overwhelming — but it wasn’t.
“Those large lectures with a professor up front always felt like something that only happens in movies, but then you realize, no, this is the experience everyone talks about,” Solomon said.
At Georgia State, Solomon connected not only with classmates and professors but also with their Jewish identity and a love for music, skating and service.
Solomon’s brothers, Ari Solomon (B.B.A. ’16) and Yonah Solomon (B.B.A. ’18), went to Georgia State, but it was the prospect of DJing at WRAS-Album 88, the student-run radio station, that solidified Shira’s interest.
When Shira Solomon arrived, they applied to Album 88 and began as a DJ helping on regular rotation. By their sophomore year, they’d earned their own spot on the air with a weekly show highlighting Jewish musical artists of all genres.
As they got more involved in campus life, Solomon became a tour guide for the Georgia State Welcome Center and took on leadership roles with two Jewish student organizations. Solomon served as vice president and religious life coordinator for Hillel Georgia State and as women's programming chair and holiday chair for Rohr Chabad House at Georgia Tech and Georgia State.
“The Jewish community at Georgia State is thriving, and I’ve been so proud to help serve it,” Solomon said.
As they begin their final semester at Georgia State this summer, Solomon is continuing their passion as part of a roller derby club team and looking to start a career in the music industry in event coordination or booking, aided by a music management degree.
“Coming from a small school, I didn’t know what to expect at Georgia State,” Solomon said. “But if you put yourself out there, join organizations and really just introduce yourself to those around you, you’ll find where you want to be.”