Student values honor at PC
“Mandy, what are you going to do when you grow up?”
“I’m going to college, and I’m going to be a lawyer.”
That was my answer when I was only five years old. At an early age, the emphasis on education was ingrained in me by my parents and other family members. My parents never had the option of going to college. They are both very intelligent, but neither one of their families could afford it and they had other obligations at the time.
Since my parents realized the importance of going to college, they wanted me to have opportunities that they themselves did not have. During high school, they encouraged me to join many organizations, including band, but they always emphasized that my school work came first.
My school work is what got me essentially a full scholarship to PC. Sure, I could have gone to almost any school based on my scholastic achievement and ambition, but I only applied to one college—Presbyterian College.
I met a girl who was a senior at PC when I was a senior in high school. She told me about how PC helped her to grow both spiritually and academically, and as soon as I heard that, I knew there was no other choice for me. I went home from the Bible study she led, and I told my parents that I was going to PC. I had not seen the school and what she told me was the only information I knew about PC, but that was all I needed.
The girl who told me those wonderful things about PC was definitely correct in her assertions. I have grown both academically and spiritually during my time at PC, but I have also grown as a person. I do not think that there is any other school that provides the same atmosphere as PC to learn and grow in all of those areas.
I have been stretched academically through several classes; the most important scholastic achievement that PC has helped me to accomplish is learning to actually think and critically analyze rather than regurgitating facts. Dr. Scarborough’s business statistics class taught me this method of thinking best. I made a 76 on the first test, thinking that I could just plug numbers into formulas. However, I ended up making an A in the class and exempted the exam, but from that first test alone, I learned that I actually have to be able to internalize what I learn in class and critically assess situations. This lesson will only be beneficial to me as I go out into the “real world.”
In regards to spiritual growth, I have learned what it truly means to be a Christian. Even though the Old and New Testament courses are objective, these classes greatly contribute to the strengthening of my faith. I now know what other theories or beliefs are circulating in the world, and my beliefs and convictions are the same. I accept what others believe, but I have more of a foundation of why I believe what I believe.
Finally, I have grown as a person because I know the importance of working hard to accomplish goals, serving others, and being compassionate. I have learned how to accomplish goals through my sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma, by planning for social events. I have learned about serving others through organizations such as Student Volunteer Services and through PC’s motto itself: “Dum Vivimus Servimus.” Finally, I know the importance of being kind because I have learned that it is never good to burn bridges, and through my spiritual growth, I know that I need to always show the fruit of the spirit at all times.
The stress on Honor at PC shows me every day that I made the right choice, and there is no other school that remotely compares to PC in relation to the integrity of the student population. I know that when I leave PC, people will know that there is something different about me that distinguishes me from other applicants, coworkers, and friends. That defining factor is my foundation at Presbyterian College—a foundation rooted in honor, respect, integrity, and excellence.
My family is very proud to tell their friends and any person they come into contact with that I am a student at Presbyterian College. They are not just proud of me because I went to college, but they are specifically proud of me because I chose PC.
Visit campus
Call our office at 1-800-960-7583. An admissions counselor will be glad to help you arrange a visit and meet with faculty, sit in on a class, or stay overnight in a dorm.
Email or call for more information - we look forward to hearing from you!