Seniors at Brevard College participated in Senior Pinning, an annual celebration that begins the home stretch to commencement weekend. On the 15th anniversary of this tradition, Brevard College had 11 Half-Tuition Scholarship recipients participate in the pinning ceremony.
Brevard College offers Half-Tuition Scholarships to high school graduates from local mountain schools including Transylvania, Buncombe, Henderson and other surrounding counties. Various donations provide this scholarship, allowing local students an opportunity to receive a quality education close to home. Currently Brevard College has 113 Half-Tuition Scholarship recipients enrolled.
Senior Pinning gives seniors an opportunity to honor someone who has made influential impacts on their college career. Honorees pin their senior student honorer, symbolizing an invaluable relationship as seniors prepare to step into the next phase of life.
Brevard College President, The Reverend Dr. David C. Joyce said, “You choose someone to give you your pin today at senior pinning. I can guarantee you that years from now you will still have this pin because it is a symbol, and symbols are powerful.”
As part of this tradition, one student from the senior class and one faculty member have the honor of speaking at the ceremony. This year the faculty speaker was Dr. Ralph Hamlett, who recently announced his retirement coming at the end of this fiscal year. Hamlett has been a professor at Brevard College for over 20 years, where he now currently serves as the Associate Professor of Political Communications.
Hamlett expressed the preciousness of time, reflecting on the many years serving as a professor, friend, and mentor to so many students, “Slow your carousel, if you will. Look to him or her who you are pinning tonight and think, ‘When did this happen? This child who just took their first steps.’ Freeze this moment.”
In the silent pauses between Hamlett’s powerful speech and the moments of reflection, the room of excited, engaged, and prepared senior students lit up. Parents, faculty, staff, and students shared proud smile, recognizing the beginning of the end.
Haley Putnam, Brevard local and Half-Tuition Scholarship recipient, had the honor of being chosen as the student speaker for this year’s Senior Pinning Ceremony.
“At Brevard College, I went from slowly creeping on the edge of my comfort zone to diving into the unknown without a life vest,” said Putnam, “These past four years have been the most amazing, painful, fun, and fulfilling years of my life and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I tend to get emotional when I think about leaving Brevard College in the spring because this place and these people have impacted me in such great ways and each holds a special place in my heart.”
Putnam stood along six other local students who received the Half-Tuition Scholarship. With her were Carli Batson, of Brevard, Brittany Ward, of Hendersonville, Whitney Ward, of Hendersonville, Olivia Brock, of Hendersonville, Zach White, of Hendersonville, and Stephanie Ball, of Asheville.
A student said, “The Half-Tuition Scholarship was a major reason why I was able to go college. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to go to Brevard College. It has been the time of my life.”
Brevard College is consistently recognized as a top liberal arts college. The College’s focus on experiential learning and the campus’ location in the mountains of Western North Carolina makes it a top choice college for students around the world.