MOVE-IN DAY! PC welcomes Class of 2026 to campus

MOVE-IN DAY! PC welcomes Class of 2026 to campus

Presbyterian College’s Class of 2026 earned an enthusiastic Blue Hose welcome Saturday during this fall’s Move-In Day.

The college’s newest students were checked in, signed in, smiled at, and thoroughly welcomed as students, faculty, staff, and administrators across campus helped them get settled into their new life on campus.

PC maintained its long-held tradition of doing the heavy lifting as volunteers helped students and their families get their belongings squared away inside residence halls.

There were a few jitters in James H. Thomason Library as students went through the check-in process – but it was also clear they were ready to begin their college careers.

“I’m sort of nervous but mostly excited,” said Tahze Vaughan, a freshman from Columbia.

A member of PC’s men’s wrestling team, Vaughan plans to explore computer science and graphic design. Fellow student-athlete Jacob Randolph, a Blue Hose baseball squad member, intends to be a business major. He, too, is excited.

“I’m excited to get rolling,” he said. “Fall baseball season is right about the corner, so to be her and get started and being with my teammates – it’ll be fun.”

However, Jacob’s parents, Brian and Kim, are not quite as excited. The Vero Beach, Fla., residents brought their youngest child to PC on Saturday and are about to become empty nesters.

“I’m excited for him but sad for me,” Kim Randolph said.

“Sad” was also the word describing Cheyenne Holbrook’s mom, Belva Godfrey. But the Spartanburg resident knows Clinton is only a short drive down Interstate 26 and supports Holbrook’s goal of becoming an elementary school teacher.

Holbrook said the strength of the college’s education program and the warmth of its people are what aimed her at PC.

“When I was looking for a school, it really just came down to how the people acted,” she said. “At PC, everyone is like family.”

Florence resident Lyric Brown said she believes PC’s small-town vibe offers the best learning environment for her to pursue a career in computational biology. PC’s strong reputation in the health sciences cemented her decision to become a Blue Hose.

Brown also was a little anxious – but ready to take the next step.

“I’m a little bit nervous,” she said, “but I feel like, once I get in my room and talk to my roommate a little bit and walk on campus, I should be fine.”

Also feeling fine? The admissions counselors who recruited Brown, Holbrook, Randolph, Vaughan, and their classmates to PC.

Mary Katherine Kelley ’21 called Move-In Day a “real full circle moment,” while counselor Courtney White ’21 said it was a joy to see all the students she’s helped here on campus together at her alma mater.

For admissions counselor Mary Grace Smith ’21, only one word describes this year’s Move-In Day.

“Awesome.”