Shaped by Auburn, called to serve

Cammi Griffith knew Auburn by heart long before she arrived as a student. She grew up coming to campus on Saturdays, walking the grounds and watching football with a family full of Auburn alumni. Long before she ever applied, Auburn already felt like home. 

When she arrived from a small Birmingham-area high school, that connection was already there. What she could not yet know was how fully Auburn would shape her path. In the years that followed, Griffith found a home in biomedical sciences, grew into a leader across campus and discovered a sense of service that now guides her future in medicine. 

“I chose Auburn because it has always felt like home,” Griffith said. “I knew Auburn had everything I needed — my major, leadership opportunities and a community that would challenge and support me.” 

Now the College of Sciences and Mathematics’ spring 2026 graduation marshal, Griffith leaves Auburn with a wide-ranging record of involvement and an even clearer sense of purpose. She found meaningful ways to serve across COSAM and campus life, from advising and welcoming students to volunteering in health care and the community. 

“Cammi truly reflects the Auburn Creed,” said Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Maggie Han. “She works hard, cares deeply about others and takes her education seriously. She brings both strong academic ability and genuine compassion. I have no doubt that she will continue to do great things and make COSAM proud." 

For Griffith, the story of her Auburn experience is not just about how much she did. It’s also about what those experiences taught her. Each role gave her another way to connect with people, lead with empathyand better understand the kind of life and career she wants to build. 

“I have loved science for as long as I can remember,” Griffith said. “I was the kid who wanted to understand everything and figure out how things worked.” 

At Auburn, that curiosity found direction in a major that matched both her academic interests and her long-standing pull toward health care. 

“Watching my mom as a physical therapist is what first pulled me toward health care, and growing up in Alabama taught me to love the people and communities around me,” Griffith said. “Biomedical Sciences felt like the perfect fit.” 

In COSAM, Griffith found some of her most meaningful opportunities to do just that. As a peer advisor, she helped students navigate schedules, questions and the everyday challenges of college life. As a COSAM Leader, she welcomed prospective students and families, offering them a firsthand look at the college community she had come to know so well. In both roles, she helped other students find their footing. 

 

“I just hoped I could influence Auburn as much as it has influenced me,” Griffith said. 

Her impact extended across campus. Griffith helped guide students through some of the most defining moments of their Auburn experience, from their earliest days on campus to the start of Panhellenic recruitment. She also took on service and engagement roles in Alpha Chi Omega, bringing the same spirit of leadership and support to that work.  

“Every role taught me something different,” Griffith said. “Whether I was giving tours to prospective students, welcoming freshmen as a Camp War Eagle counselor or helping lead Panhellenic recruitment, each experience taught me how to lead with compassion and resilience.” 

That same blend of scholarship and service shaped Griffith’s academic life. Through undergraduate research with the Harrison College of Pharmacy, she studied neuronal cells and contributed to research on how the brain responds to heightened states of stress and alertness. Her research experience led to publication, giving her an early introduction to the kind of academic medicine environment she may one day return to as a physician. 

Her research experience expanded her sense of what a future in medicine might look like. Just as meaningful, though, were the experiences that brought her closest to the people and communities she hopes to serve. 

Volunteering at Mercy Medical Clinic gave her direct exposure to patient care and deepened her commitment to improving access to health care in Alabama. At the Food Bank of East Alabama, service took a different form but reflected the same values: meeting people where they are and responding to real needs in the community. 

After graduation, Griffith plans to attend medical school with the goal of becoming a primary care physician in Alabama. She hopes to practice in a community-focused setting where she can help improve access to care. She is also interested in staying connected to academic medicine through research or teaching, combining her love of learning with the mentorship that has shaped so much of her own journey. 

“Auburn has poured into me,” she said. “It has been an honor to pour back into this community.”