The day before April Fool’s Day this spring, BlueStocking editor-in-chief Mitchell Mercer learned – quite by surprise – that he was the S.C. Press Association Collegiate Division Journalist of the
Year for schools with fewer than 5,000 students.

It was no joke. Neither is Mercer’s collegiate career as a writer, photographer, podcaster, content creator, and leader at Presbyterian College. And certainly not his future.

To say that the senior is driven seems an understatement. In a statement read aloud at the collegiate awards ceremony held at Clemson University, Dr. Kendra Hamilton, an associate professor of English and The BlueStocking’s faculty adviser, said she has never met anyone quite like Mercer.

“He is focused, determined, fiendishly productive, while also maintaining a stance in his personal and professional interactions that is thoughtful, kind, and genuinely helpful,” Hamilton
wrote. “In large ways and small, his rare combination of qualities – the driven journalist who nonetheless has a gentle touch – gets the job done and also warms the heart.”

During his collegiate career, Mercer has served The BlueStocking as a sports writer, award-winning photographer, award-winning columnist, and sports editor and editor-in-chief. He was the station manager for WPCX 97.1 FM, a video producer for the BlueTube channel, and the host of a sports podcast. He has written for his hometown newspaper in Fort Mill, worked as a stringer for a local sports website, and interned at SCETV – all while participating in other student organizations and staying on the Dean’s List at PC.

“Mitchell Mercer has set the bar high in terms of elevated standards and tireless professionalism, and he’s made a real difference at Presbyterian College,” Hamilton stated. “His portfolio demonstrates range, skills, and talent, and judges know with certainty that Mercer has a bright future in journalism!”

College president Dr. Matthew vandenBerg thanked Mercer for his role on campus as a leader in student media.

“The BlueStocking has positively influenced Presbyterian College as the voice for generations of PC students,” he said.  “We are grateful for Mitchell’s leadership in restoring The BlueStocking to prominence on campus and congratulate him for bringing honor to PC on the larger stage.”

There is also a healthy dose of humility for all the praise and accolades.

“Honestly, it was pretty surreal when my name was called as Journalist of the Year,” Mercer said. “It still feels weird, in a sense, that it hasn’t hit me yet, but I’m still very blessed by it at the same time.”

All of the work – all of the content produced for PC, Laurens County, and his hometown – has been a great blessing, as well, he said. “I always loved producing things for people to showcase my craft growing up, which has really made my job with The BlueStocking much more enjoyable” Mercer said. “As for the Journalist of the Year award itself, it’s really just an example of the hard work paying off despite the trials and tribulations you might face, along with the sacrifices to get to that particular point.”

Mercer admits balancing an academic career with a personal life, professional experiences, and a student journalism career has been challenging. There were also a few naysayers, he added.

“Fortunately, I ignored a lot of what they said and pretty much kept my head up high, kept my faith, worked hard, and tried to be the best I could every single day,” he said.

Mercer’s best covers a lot of media territory – websites, podcasts, print journalism, and radio. Each experience, he said, brought out a different set of skills to develop.

“I feel like all of these experiences really helped me a lot, not only developing my content in different aspects, but also allowing me to tell stories in different styles,” he said. “Personally, to succeed in journalism, you need to have authenticity in the way you produce your content. My main goal is to provide an authentic product. I feel that getting experiences in all of these areas have allowed me to become a better storyteller, especially since a lot of people prefer getting their news in different ways.”

Mercer said the varied roles he explored gave him a greater impression of the journalism industry. As a student at a small liberal arts college with no journalism or broadcasting major, Mercer said he was motivated to go out and get some experience in the trenches. In just four years, he has interviewed a coach who made national news and a runner-up in the Miss America Pageant.

Mercer also said his roles as manager of WPCX and editor of The BlueStocking provided greater insight into student journalism’s role on a college campus.

“Student journalism allows students across college campuses to get to know their communities,” he said. “Based on the amount of people that I’ve interviewed over the past few years on the different outcomes and situations that they came from, I personally think that allows us to respect each other as human beings, along with admiring the impact that they are having throughout their own campus community.”

Student journalists share what happens on campus, Mercer said. They allow various voices to be heard and appreciated. They also build relationships and a deeper understanding of an ethical free press’s role in a democracy.

“Outside of school, I feel that it’s preparing college students on how to consume true news and to make strong opinions about it, which allows our society to function to its strongest capability,” he said.

While most expect Mercer to jump right into a career in journalism when he graduates this spring, the beauty of his liberal arts education at PC means many doors are open to a young man with a powerful work ethic, skill as a communicator, and some old-fashioned grit.

Mercer said his college career at PC has prepared him to be flexible and confident making choices and searching for solutions.

“I feel confident that, whatever career path that I take, I’m going to have a long, positive, and successful career in that pathway – full of gratitude, happiness, and great opportunities ahead.”