“You’re going to get a great education,” says Joe Wideman ’13, an attorney in Columbia, S.C. “PC can line up with any school in the country when it comes to the type of professors we have and the skill sets you can learn.”

Wideman learned his skill sets in the classroom and on the football field. He learned about accounting and business as a business administration major. He balanced his responsibilities as a student with his responsibilities as a linebacker on the Blue Hose football team.

“At PC, you really embody the student-athlete: being the student first, the athlete second,” he said. “Having that work ethic, that discipline, and that rigorous schedule set me up for success.

“I was able to go to law school and not feel overwhelmed.”

Help Along the Way

Wideman is the first to admit he didn’t do it all on his own. His parents supported him from the beginning. And he noticed the first time he visited campus how much the professors cared.

“The professors I met when I was visiting seemed to genuinely care about the success of their students,” Wideman said. “The faculty and staff truly are there to make students better versions of themselves.”

Wideman says he benefitted from PC’s small class sizes. In fact, he chose PC partly because he didn’t want to be “a number at a large university.”

A Hard-Working Attorney

Today, Wideman serves as an attorney at a law firm with offices in Columbia, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Wilmington, N.C. He specializes in workers’ compensation cases and enjoys helping insurers and employers navigate the process.

The former student-athlete still uses the skills and practices the same values he did when he was at PC. He gets up at 5 a.m. every morning to workout, a nod to his strong work ethic. He says he basically solves problems in his role as an attorney. And he still finds time to help at-risk youth in the community, just like he did as a CHAMPS mentor when he was at PC.

It’s all part of being a Blue Hose, Wideman says.

“If you want to be a part of something special, that so many people actually hold to a high esteem: that’s PC,” he said. “You’re going to learn a lot. You’re going to feel comfortable. And when you leave, it’s just one of those places that you just can’t compare to anywhere else.”

Learn More

The business administration department helped lead Joe Wideman to law school. Check out what the department has to offer you. Want to learn more about PC’s pre-law program? Our Pre-Law pages have what you’re looking for.