Presbyterian College celebrates 142nd Commencement with Hope, Reflection, and Praise for the Human Spirit

Presbyterian College celebrated its 142nd Commencement Ceremony for the College of Arts and Sciences on Saturday under cloudy skies and the majestic oak trees at the Vance Plaza—a symbolic setting for a graduating class that has weathered both literal and figurative storms.

A Journey Shaped by Resilience

Presbyterian College president Dr. Anita Gustafson opened the ceremony with a heartfelt welcome, recognizing the extraordinary challenges faced by the Class of 2025.

“It’s a great day to be a Blue Hose,” she said, smiling to the rows of graduates clad in academic regalia. “You arrived in the middle of a pandemic—wearing masks and social distancing. And your senior year took an unexpected turn when Hurricane Helene arrived on our campus.”

The storm knocked out power and disrupted student life, leaving behind significant damage to the heart of campus. But Gustafson noted that the crisis only strengthened the bonds of community.

“That interruption also helped us realize how important our community is. How important the people are who make up PC. And how much we value this beautiful campus,” she said. “We are so blessed to be here on such a beautiful day!”

Gustafson reminded the audience that while graduation marks the end of a college journey, the term “commencement” signifies a new beginning.

“Equipped with this true-blue identity,” she said, “you will make a difference in your communities and in your world.”

Caroline Rairigh: Planting Trees for the Future

Caroline Rairigh, a psychology major from Dahlonega, Ga., was selected as Outstanding Senior for the Class of 2025 and delivered an address titled “Planting Trees.”

In her remarks, Rairigh reflected on the class’s unique distinction.

“If you’ve spoken with me recently, then you already know this: the Class of 2025 is the smallest graduating class to come out of PC since it went coed in 1965,” she said. “But we will not be remembered for our size. We will be remembered for what we have done—and what we will do.”

Quoting the proverb, “Leadership is planting trees under whose shade you’ll never sit,” Rairigh praised her classmates for the lasting legacy they’ve already begun to create.

“We may not get to see the full effects of what we’ve done here, but I promise that those who come after us will know and feel it,” she said.

A Class Forged by Challenge and Change

Rairigh highlighted the milestones of their four-year journey: navigating the post-pandemic college landscape, witnessing changes in leadership and faculty, and enduring the upheaval of Hurricane Helene.

“We have experienced heartache together. We have experienced incredible joy together. Everything about our years at PC has been wonderfully unexpected,” she said.

Looking toward the future, she expressed confidence in her classmates’ readiness to make an impact across a range of fields—education, medicine, law, business, science, and more.

“There are people in this class that everyone else’s kids are going to have to study in school one day,” Rairigh said. “You will continue to plant trees—whether you enjoy their shade or not.”

She closed with a moving quote from Presbyterian College: The Things That Last by Ted Ramsaur, evoking the bittersweet nature of graduation and the enduring memories of college life.

“No matter how far away you go and no matter how many years you put between now and then, you will have memories of this place that never fade,” she read. “And this is important. The things that last.”

Dr. Kendra Hamilton: A Voice in Praise of the Human Mind

This year’s Professor of the Year, Dr. Kendra Hamilton, associate professor of English and director of the Southern Studies program, delivered a powerful and deeply philosophical keynote titled “In Praise of Human Intelligence.”

Amid growing societal reliance on artificial intelligence, Hamilton urged students to remember and reclaim the power of the human mind—an intelligence not programmed but felt, embodied, and deeply rooted in experience and creativity.

“At a time when South Carolina became number one in the nation in book bans, I find it powerful and hopeful that you, the students, nominated an English professor for this award,” Hamilton said.

A Celebration of Humanity Amid a Digital Age

Hamilton described the current era as a Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterized by rapid technological change and the integration of AI, robotics, biotechnology, and digital systems. While acknowledging the utility of AI in fields like medicine and data analysis, she cautioned against outsourcing our most human qualities—creativity, empathy, and ethical reasoning.

“AI cannot show concern for the well-being of another,” Hamilton said. “It cannot resolve conflict or ensure the survival of the group. It can only replicate what it has been given.”

She invoked the poet Alexander Pope, calling graduates to embrace their “darkly wise and rudely great” nature—to know themselves and celebrate their embodied intelligence.

“You are better than this,” Hamilton said, quoting a teacher friend’s admonition to a student tempted to rely on AI for assignments. “There is no one else like you. The world needs to hear what only you can give.”

A Liberal Arts Education with Lasting Value

Hamilton defended the value of a liberal arts education—especially during times of societal disruption.

“Yes, employers want people who can read and write and reason and play well with others,” she said. “But you came here not just for job skills. You came to sharpen the knife of your mind against the stone of the world.”

Her speech concluded with a call to purpose: “Find your calling. Live it. And if AI can be a tool, use it—but know what it was made for. Was it created to augment you or replace you?”

Recognizing Faculty Excellence and Transitions

Dr. Erin McAdams, provost and vice president of academic affairs, recognized faculty members for outstanding contributions:

• Dr. Michael O. Rischbieter, Charles A. Dana Professor of Biology, received the Kenneth B. Orr Faculty Research Fellowship.
• Dr. Eli T. Owens, associate professor of physics, received the Robert H. Freymeyer Award.
• Dr. Kendra Hamilton was honored as Professor of the Year.

Two long-serving faculty members—Dr. Bob Bryant, Emma Bailey Cornelson Chair of Religion, and Dr. Ron Zimmerman, professor of biology—were recognized upon their retirement.

McAdams also announced several tenure and promotion recognitions:

• Dr. James T. Allen was promoted to professor of economics and business administration.
• Dr. Drew S. Brandel earned tenure and promotion to associate professor of psychology.
• Dr. Sarah C. Burns was promoted to professor of psychology.
• Dr. Tammy J. Graham earned tenure and promotion to professor of education.
• Dr. Douglas L. Smith earned tenure.
• Dr. Emily E. Taylor was promoted to professor of English.

Valedictorians Honored

Three graduates were recognized as valedictorians, earning the highest academic honors:

• Patrick Alexander Buchanan, summa cum laude, with Honors in History and Religion, from Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• Kelly Lynn Hall, summa cum laude, from Suwanee, Ga.
• Samuel Keith Johnson, summa cum laude, with Honors in Biology, from Woodruff, S.C.

A Day to Remember

As the ceremony drew to a close, families and friends gathered on the quad to embrace graduates and pose for photos. The sounds of joy, relief, and celebration filled the air.

For a class that started its college career in masks and social distancing, and ended it under the sunlit canopy of oak trees and triumph, the symbolism was not lost.

“You have one life,” Hamilton had reminded them. “It is precious. It is given to you in this gift of a body. Use your human intelligence to manifest a vision of a beautiful world.”

And as Dr. Gustafson reminded them: “Once a Blue Hose, always a Blue Hose.”

Laurens County graduates:

• Sofia Love Carles, cum laude – Clinton
• Ansley McCarter Crisp, cum laude – Laurens
• Amelia Stewart Davenport – Clinton
• Cecilia Perez Santiago, summa cum laude, Honors in Spanish – Clinton
• Brandon James Campbell, magna cum laude – Clinton
• Paola Diaz-Reynoso, cum laude – Laurens
• Sarah Danielle Duvall, cum laude – Laurens
• Shawn Michael Konle – Waterloo

Photos:

• Cover – Jy Nunley – First Generation graduate
• Ansley Crisp of Laurens – pictured with her mother, PC alumna Lisa Crisp ’90 and PC president Dr. Anita Gustafson
• Cecilia Perez Santiago of Clinton