Presbyterian College mascot Scotty the Scotsman meets students and parents during Accepted Student Day.

Presbyterian College met its next generation of Blue Hose face to face on March 23, as more than a hundred high school students came to campus for Accepted Student Day.

President Dr. Anita Gustafson kicked off the event by congratulating students for being chosen to attend PC and letting them know that they belong.

Gustafson also shared three tenets that distinguish PC as a place where students can flourish: transformative education, “True Blue” camaraderie, and a heart of service.

“Our core identity is a strong academic program that will prepare you for your future,” she said. “And not just for one job, but for the meaningful and varied career path that is ahead of you. You will be taught by scholar-teachers who really care about you and your success. And I’ve said this in some of these venues before, but our faculty are tenured and promoted based on their teaching excellence.”

Gustafson said PC professors are also scholars and researchers, but they are primarily evaluated by their ability to teach and make a liberal arts education relevant to students.

“I firmly believe in the value of liberal arts education,” she said. It helps you develop deep knowledge in one or more areas—your major or your minor. And that’s surrounded by an envelope of transferable skills that will distinguish you in your career path.”

To be True Blue is to understand and embrace the importance of community.

“At PC, we are committed to values of pluralism, hospitality, service, justice, and grace,” Gustafson said. “Treating each other with dignity and respect. Isn’t that something that’s absolutely missing in today’s world? The relationships that you have here, that you form here, will be lifelong bonds.”

Service is a core value at PC, as well, Gustafson said.

“I believe service’s essential value is not only what you get from the education, but really what you can give back from being so well-educated,” she said. “Giving back. A heart of service. It’s in our DNA. It’s our college motto, ‘While we live, we serve.'”

As they made their way across campus for events like the campus scavenger hunt and the academic and student organization fair in the Templeton Center, accepted students had a golden opportunity to get to know each other, their professors, and those already attending PC.

Ariana Nelson, a student at Newberry High School in Newberry, did not lose that opportunity, nor did Madison Duncan, a student at Berkeley County Middle College High School in Moncks Corner.

Nelson counts PC as one of her top college choices. As a Palmetto Girls State delegate, she already spent time on campus last summer. Accepted Student Day, she said, was a chance to meet new people and get to know them.

Duncan was one of those people.

“Honestly, I love the beautiful campus, and the biggest thing for me is the small class sizes,” she said. “Honestly, I love everything about PC. I came today to meet some people who will hopefully go to Presbyterian. It’s fun to interact with the students and more of the student ambassadors, too. I’ve had the same tour guide before, which has been amazing, but seeing more people around is nice.”

Omar Diaz Valerdi, a student at Berea High School in Greenville, also considers PC his “go-to” college destination. As a first-generation college student, Valerdi said higher education is an entirely new experience he eagerly embraces.

“Mostly, I wanted to learn the campus layout and also get to know the faculty and my fellow students,” he said.

T.J. Rhodes of Gilbert, a student at Batesburg-Leesville High School, will join the PC Class of ’28 this fall and participate as a cadet in the Highlander Battalion of the Reserve Officer Training Corps.

“This is my school,” he said. “It’s private, and it’s out of the way, and it’s nice. It’s just calm, and I can just do my work. I feel like I fit. I feel like I’m a good fit here.”

For those who already fit in at PC, Accepted Student Day is an opportunity to do for others what others did for them – make them feel completely welcome.

Spencer Wieters, a sophomore from Abbeville, said he and his fellow student ambassadors are committed to leaving a lasting impression on accepted students.

“We get to know them,” he said. “We know them by name. We get to know their interests and use a personal touch. PC is a small school. The best thing is that you’ll never have to eat alone at lunch. You’ll always have someone.”

Grace Culbreath is a freshman from Greenville who attended Accepted Student Day last spring. It made a massive difference in her decision to attend PC, so she, too, wants to make the same difference.

“It’s kind of full circle for me today,” she said. “I’m really excited because I came last year, so it’s my first time being on the other side. And I think last year, this day, was when it kind of set in for me that this would be my college for the next four years. It’s when I realized this was my new home, and I was excited to make it my new home.”

Accepted Student Day is also a “full circle” day for senior admissions counselor M.K. Kelly ’21. As a former PC student-athlete, Kelly said she still remembers what it felt like during her campus visit a few years ago.

“This was probably the day that I realized this is exactly where I wanted to be,” she said. “So, to be a small part of many of these families’ process is so fulfilling. I think this day makes all the hard work and stressful hours of work count because you see the joy on their faces, and you just hope that they’ll choose to come here and have the same experience that I did, which I loved.”

Accepted Student Day is almost like a holiday, said director of admissions Leigh Lanford ’98.

“Accepted Student Day is one of my favorite days on campus!” she said. “It’s a day of celebrating our newest Blue Hose. What is always clear is the ‘PC magic’ that happens when our newest students come together. There is energy and excitement all across campus as students get a glimpse into the journey that awaits them at PC.”

She added that the event also highlights what college will be like for accepted students.

“Accepted Student Day is important because we want students to see for themselves what being a student on our campus is like,” Lanford said. “They’ve maneuvered through the application process and arrived at the point of acceptance. Now, we want them to meet professors, current students, and other members of the incoming class to really get a feel for PC life. We want them to experience what it is like when they Go True Blue!”

Presbyterian College welcomed the new generation of Blue Hose to Accepted Student Day ’24.