As Pensacola Christian College students, new and returning, arrived on campus, a sense of excitement and wonder came with them. Bundles of family groups filled the Administration Building mall, asking questions to Welcome Week student volunteers and those staffing the Information Desk. Now and again, an excited “How have you been?” or “How was your summer?” was overheard as the crowds shuffled through high traffic areas of campus. All of these students, from 50 states and over 50 countries around the globe, are here to learn how to influence their world for Christ.
Returning students knew what to do. At check-in, they picked up their PCC Card and began to work through the items on their First Steps Checklist. New students, however, came to start a new journey—their #PCCJourney! From moving in and meeting new roommates to registering for classes and buying books from the Textbook Sale in the MacKenzie Great Hall, new students began adjusting to life as a PCC Eagle.
The Commons Florida Rooms hosted Campus Life 101, an interactive Q&A spearheaded by PCC’s communications specialist Rachel Moses, to help new students and their families stay well-informed as they settled in. New students learned tips for how to navigate the Eagle’s Nest student portal and when to meet their fellow classmates in Varsity during the Class of 2023 Connection over the weekend. Chase Williams (Jr., GA), one of the presenters at College 101, encouraged students by saying, “Where your comfort zone ends, growth begins! If God brought you to it, then God will bring you through it.”
Opening Meetings began on Sunday night. During the service, Dr. Troy Shoemaker, president of Pensacola Christian College, took a moment to welcome students to campus and introduce the administration seated on stage. “Whether you’re an incoming freshman excited about a new adventure in your life, or whether you’re a senior and excited about graduating, it’s great to have you here,” he said. “Forty-six years ago, the very first class came to PCC—about a hundred in number. They started just like we are now. And since that time, with a great tradition and a great desire to please God in all that we do, we continue now into our fifth decade.”
Campus Church pastor Jeff Redlin set the spiritual tone during Opening Meetings. Remaining family members were sprinkled among the students as Pastor Redlin spoke about truths all could apply to their own lives. He encouraged the audience to be sensitive and aligned to the desires God has in store for them and to learn more about Him through the Bible’s truths to strengthen their relationship with Him.
After many spent the summer away, we at PCC are glad to have the student body back for the fall semester!