Margaret Leonard ’26 gives meaning to being ‘True Blue’

Throughout her time at Presbyterian College, senior Margaret Leonard has certainly left her mark on campus. 

From tutoring students in the Writing Center to serving as Student Government Association president, Leonard has given her all to everything she does since arriving at PC four years ago. 

She attributes her love of getting involved to the college’s small, tight-knit community and the feeling of individuality that PC provides its students. 

“You’re not just another number,” she said. “We’re in an atmosphere that almost requires more of us because we’re not able to just blend into the background. It provides this opportunity to get as involved as possible.” 

On a deeper level, Leonard wishes to give back to PC even half as much as the college has given to her during her time here. 

“I feel like this school has given so much to me in terms of my academic goals and my leadership opportunities that I want to do what I can for the school.” 

One of the most memorable opportunities she’s been given over the years is the chance to conduct research under associate professor of biology Dr. Austin Shull ‘11, beginning in her freshman year. 

“It was a great way to figure out if I liked it or not,” she said. “I started as a freshman, which is really only something you can do somewhere like PC, is walk up to a professor and say, ‘I want to do research,’ and they’re like, ‘Come to lab tomorrow.” So, that opportunity is really special.” 

In addition to her research through PC, this past summer, Leonard had the incredible opportunity to spend ten weeks working at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, as part of their Summer Student Program. 

Leonard spent her days working in the lab under a mentor, though the work was entirely independent. In her downtime, she shadowed other people in the lab, using equipment and learning new techniques that she wouldn’t have access to otherwise. 

She credits the several years of research experience under her belt for her confidence going into the program at the beginning of the summer. 

“I feel like I knew a lot going into the summer, and I kind of had a leg up because I had been doing so much already. A lot of people had just shadowed before going to the summer program and becoming independent,” she said. “I’ve already been independent, and I’ve already had these experiences and these connections, and I’ve been able to travel across the country to present my research.” 

The hands-on experience left her with a newfound confidence and one major takeaway that she’ll carry with her into the future: “It’s okay to suck.”

“When you’re in a lab environment, 90 percent of the time it’s not going to go the way you want it to,” she said. “So, sometimes learning is just the best outcome that you’re going to get. If I messed up completely, but I know why I made that mistake, then I felt like I was successful, because I would never do it again.” 

At the end of the 10-week program, one student is selected to speak at a donor event. This year, that student was Leonard. 

“There was a lot of imposter syndrome with being from a small school in the South, where people have this idea that you might not be as smart or as educated,” she said. “So, when I was selected to do that, it kind of gave me this confidence booster that was like, ‘Wow, you know, maybe I do belong, and maybe I am as good as any student.’” 

When Leonard reflects on her time at Presbyterian College, she thinks of her college experience as one that has helped her grow as a person. 

“I feel like I’ve been changed as a person,” she said. “I feel like I’ve grown in the way I can talk to people, and the way I can solve conflict, because we’re such a personal campus, and everyone is connected, and everyone has this relationship with one another.” 

As she prepares to walk across the stage in May, Leonard is already looking ahead, currently applying to 25 graduate programs across the country. She hopes to earn a Ph.D. in cancer biology. 

“I’m hoping that I find the place where I belong,” she said. “Through PC and my experience this summer, I feel like I know what I want in a place. Both of these experiences have brought out the best in me and made me a better scientist and person, and I’m just hoping for lucky number three, and to find a place that really does that.”