ATLANTA — Colleges around the country hoping for a return to normalcy this fall. Several Georgia colleges and universities will require their students to get vaccinated before returning to campus this fall.
Schools within the Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC) and Emory University told their students they must get vaccinated, but not all students agree with the plan.
Shara Sims, a junior at Spelman College, said she is not going to get the vaccine.
"I come from a family and a background where we don't vaccinate and I feel like if that's our choice, that's our choice," said Sims.
Students of the AUCC were mixed on if the school should require them to take the COVID-19 vaccine before classes start this fall.
The new requirement applies to all students, faculty, and staff at Spelman College, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and the AUC Robert Woodruff Library.
When Sims started at Spelman, she was given a vaccine waiver.
The AUCC said students can apply for medical and religious exemptions, which Sims plans to do.
Meanwhile, Morehouse freshman Nathaniel Whitaker could not be happier to finally retire his virtual class setup for campus life next year. He said he never imaged he'd do his first year of college online.
"I’m ready to be on campus. College is not something I would never want to do at home," said Whitaker
Already fully vaccinated, Whitaker is looking forward to finally stepping onto campus to meet all the faces he’s been "zooming" with in person, and finally get to decorate his dorm room.
"I’m very excited. I actually can finally hit check out on my cart on target that I had items in my cart since the day before I found out I wasn’t going to be on campus," Whitaker said.
Brooklynn Mullins tweeted she plans to show up to campus with her vaccination card to start her junior year at Spelman College.
Spelman said a survey sent to students and employees showed a “significant number” in the community are already partially or fully vaccinated or plan to be in coming weeks.
Mullins wants to encourage skeptical classmates to get the shot.
"I think it’s the best step and I would try to tell anyone or convince anyone or tell somebody my experience to get them to want to take it to be on campus," said Mullins.