Below are some of the awards and activities of our students:

Seven English students were awarded PC Summer Fellowships for 2015:
  • Olivia Aldridge (major)
  • Brittany Beasley (major)
  • Jillian Collier (major)
  • Allison Cooke (major)
  • Sara Walden Hanna (major)
  • Matthew Mitchell (major)
  • Matthew Treaster (minor)

English minor Juliana Franklin and alumnus Patrick Kennedy ’13 created an intercultural experience between Patrick’s students in Guatemala  and the Spanish Club at PC; read an article about the experience here.


Seniors Chris Byrd (major) and Baillie Hill (English & Creative Writing minor) presented their research at the 2015 Big South Undergraduate Research Symposium, held at Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC. Baillie presented work from her psychology research, while Chris presented his English Honors research, “‘Now begin the terrors; now begin the marvels’: The Sacred and Secular Grail in the Twentieth Century”—he won Best Presentation for English!


In March 2015, senior Jada Suber (Creative Writing minor) was awarded a Platinum Scotsman Award, which “is given (electronically) to members of our PC community who are best representing the leadership vision and service values of PC Campus Life.”

Jada Suber Platinum Scotsman


On March 20th, 2015, senior Middle School Education major and English minor Amber Allen co-presented with Education professor Dr. Julia Wilkins a session on “Building Good Student-Teacher Relationships” at the GROW Symposium, hosted by the RETAIN Center of Excellence at Newberry College. Read an article about Amber at GROW here.


Senior MaryBeth Schaffner (English major/Creative Writing minor) gave several presentations at conferences this year:

  • “Using Newspaper Theatre in the Intro Class” at the 2015 Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) in Chattanooga, TN.
  • “Fun, Games and Fairy Tales: Boal’s Theatre Games” at the 2015 Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) in Chattanooga, TN.
  • “Forum Theatre for Tutor Training” at the 2015 Southeastern Writing Center Conference in Nashville, TN.

At the 2014 Opening Convocation, junior English major and Creative Writing minor Jessica Carriker was awarded the Hay Religion Award, given to the PC student who has earned the highest average in Religion and/or Philosophy coursework in four consecutive semesters.


Seven English majors were awarded PC Summer Fellowships for 2014:
  • Abbie Bagwell will work with Dr. Barr on a project titled “The Lasting Yet Evolving Mammy Figure through the Lens of American Popular Culture.”
  • Cameron Brock will also work with Dr. Barr, examining “Exploring the Chasm: The Dysfunctional Family in Southern Literature.”
  • Christopher Byrd will study “King Arthur as Defender of Twentieth-Century Values” with Dr. Brent.
  • Helen Dennis‘s research with Dr. Barr asks, “How Does Your Garden Grow?”
  • Danielle Jolly‘s project with Dr. Alexander takes “A Look into the Distorted Reality of the Characters within Robert Browning’s Poetry.”
  • MaryBeth Schaffner will research “Theatre of the Oppressed: Becoming a Joker” with Theatre professor Ms. Ragland.
  • Taylor Stacy will examine “Art Restoration and Conservation” with art historian Dr. Crary.
Also, two English minors were awarded PC Summer Fellowships:
  • Bailey Hill will continue her work with School of Pharmacy professor Dr. Romero-Sandoval on “Reduction of Chronic Pain through the Induction of Anti-Inflammatory Macrophages.”
  • Jonathan “JB” Mitchell will make “A Longitudinal Study of Age-Related Changes in the Self-Concepts of CHAMPS Students” with psychology professor Dr. Spatta.

At Honors Day in April 2014, many English majors and minors were recognized for their achievements:
  • Seth Warner (major) was named the 2014 Outstanding Senior in English and the 2014 Outstanding Senior in Creative Writing.
  • Kalie Goodman (minor) was named the 2014 Outstanding Senior in Biology.
  • Mary Alice Reed (minor) was named the 2014 Outstanding Senior in German.
  • Heather McGowan (minor) was named the 2014 Outstanding Senior in Southern Studies.
  • Allison Cooke (major) won the 2014 Creative Writing Award.
  • Helen Wilkins (minor) received the Harry S. Dent Christian Lay Leadership Award.
  • Several of our majors (Chelsea Dean, Jacob Rogers, and Seth Warner) and minors (Laura Leigh Fox, Kalie Goodman, Heather McGowan, and Sara Simpson) received Academic Excellence Awards.
  • Four of our minors (Heather McGowan, Dillard Stephens, Chantara Tolbert, and Jack Warren) received Senior Achievement Awards.

Jada Suber (Creative Writing minor) was invited to attend the 2014 Experimental Biology Conference in San Diego (April); you can read her account of the experience in the June 10th issue of South Carolina AHEConnects. Also, for the second year in a row, Jada was accepted into the MUSC Summer Undergraduate Research Program in Charleston, SC.

Jada Suber at the 2014 Experimental Biology Conference in San Diego (photo by Austin Gray)

Jada Suber at the 2014 Experimental Biology Conference in San Diego (photo by Austin Gray)


1669929_735714456446192_1599951519_oJunior major Abbie Bagwell‘s interview with Joel and Lenora Sansbury, owners of The Farmer’s Table in Spartanburg, SC, was published in the Spring 2014 issue of edible Upcounty.


MaryBeth Schaffner‘s (junior English major and Creative Writing minor) presented her paper on “Academic Oppression and the Mediating Role of the Writing Center Tutor: Lessons from Theatre” at the 2014 Southeastern Writing Center Association Conference at East Carolina University in February 2014.


On 22 February 2014, junior majors Cameron Brock, Danielle Jolly, Patrick Justice, and Meghan Mast presented their papers on Victorian British Literature at Coker College’s 6th annual Undergraduate Humanities Research Conference in Hartsville, SC. Their essays were written originally for Dr. Alexander’s courses.

  • Cameron Brock: “Suffering and Misery in Wuthering Heights” (ENGL 213: Research Methods)
  • Danielle Jolly: “The Need to Confess: Robert Browning’s Dramatic Monologues” (ENGL 329: The Victorian Age)
  • Patrick Justice: “Marriage as Socioeconomic Necessity: Wuthering Heights” (ENGL 213: Research Methods)
  • Meghan Mast: “The Chameleon: Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s ‘The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point'” (ENGL 329: The Victorian Age)