Senior Madelyn Wilkie transferred to Presbyterian College from Winthrop University in the Spring of 2024.
Originally from Clinton, Wilkie had long been familiar with the college, so when she decided it was time for a change, she knew just where to look.
Since then, Wilkie has excelled both academically and professionally, giving true meaning to the values that lie at the heart of Presbyterian College.
As a history major with an English minor, Wilkie has spent much of her college career researching, writing, and presenting, a skillset that came in handy when she decided she wanted to pursue an honors research project in history during her sophomore year.
Student Research Experience.
The project, revolving around the Chiquita Banana company throughout Latin America, was born out of pure coincidence.
“I happened to watch a video essay about Chiquita Banana, and I thought it was really interesting,” she said. “I was telling Dr. Sumner about it, and she encouraged me to keep researching and brought up the idea of maybe doing an honors project.”
Following history professor Dr. Jaclyn Sumner’s words of encouragement, Wilkie began pursuing the honors process, first applying to the Summer Fellows program, where she spent the summer conducting research, culminating in a presentation at the research symposium at the end of the program.
“Dr. Sumner was incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, but especially when it came to the presentation,” she said. “We would find an empty classroom in Neville, and I would present to her whenever there was time.”
Since then, Wilkie has presented her findings at numerous conferences throughout the Southeastern U.S., growing more confident with each presentation.
Doing honors research was one of the highlights of my experience at PC, and going to Ireland last spring with the history department is definitely up there as well. Those experiences definitely had an impact on me as a whole.”
Madelyn Wilkie ’26
Influenced by Professors
She credits her success to the Presbyterian College history department, and the professors who have impacted her on an individual level.
“The history classes I’ve taken here and the professors I’ve had definitely made an impact and helped prepare me for the entire process,” she said. “I learned how to present well from taking Dr. Rick Heiser’s classes, and how to research from Dr. Sumner, and so on.”
“Doing honors research was one of the highlights of my experience at PC, and going to Ireland last spring with the history department is definitely up there as well,” she said. “Those experiences definitely had an impact on me as a whole.”
Wilkie’s hard work and commitment was recently recognized at the 2026 Honors Day Convocation, during which she received the Outstanding Senior award for the history department, chosen by the faculty who saw her dedication firsthand.
Earlier in the day, Wilkie took part in a panel discussion hosted by the English department, where she presented her essay titled “The Cage of Filial Love: Genuine Devotion and its Limiting Effects” in Jane Austen’s Emma.
Shortly after, Wilkie took the stage again, presenting her honors research in front of the history department and an audience full of listeners, once again truly exemplifying what it means to be a Blue Hose.
As Wilkie gets ready to walk across the stage in just a few short weeks, she feels confident that her time at PC has prepared her for the next chapter of her life.
A Future in Higher Education
Wilkie plans to attend the University of Alabama, where she’ll earn her master’s in history before she begins working toward her Ph.D.
Inspired by the professors who shaped her undergraduate experience, Wilkie plans to become a history professor herself, specializing in Latin American history.
