I was baptized into the Methodist church in October, 1994. This act deems me a lifelong member of the Methodist church and as a child I learned many Christian values and ways of living, yet I never really understood that I was a Methodist. That understanding came with my Confirmation. The Confirmation process was my chance to dive into the mystery of faith located within the Christian religion and Methodist denomination. At the end of this process I was able to make my first lifelong decision and that included whether I was to join my church and profess my faith as a Methodist or to profess myself as something totally different.  Obviously I chose to remain a Methodist and grow in my faith and belief as I grew physically into the woman of faith that I am today.

I graduated Valedictorian of my class and pretty much had the opportunity to go anywhere that I wanted to go – provided the scholarship money was available. Yet, I applied to one school and one school only – Spartanburg Methodist College. This decision first and foremost was based on its affiliation with the Methodist Church and my decision to live a life set aside for the glory of God following His will. I stereotypically placed this college in the category of a typical Christian College, but upon my arrival I realized that SMC is so much more. Here I have found that it is not just a school. SMC is a 103 year old college that has successfully grown in number and in size and definitely flourished without changing the grounds on which it was built or discounting the faith of its founders.

SMC has given me access to knowledge beyond the walls of my home and high school, leading me educationally towards a career and providing a gateway into the knowledge of theology, philosophy, and history of Faith.  SMC gives you access to faculty and staff members that appreciate the same values and are people of faith, as are you. The relationships you build help you to grow and become independent in your faith and belief and help you develop into the person you want to become.

Once you decide to attend an institution of this stature you become set apart in a positive Christ-seeking, self-seeking manner that inevitably changes most lives for the better. If the will to be a dedicated follower and believer of faith exists within your soul then it could only benefit future lives and decisions by attending SMC based on, connected to, and dedicated in expanding that same belief.

(Kaitlyn, a graduate of Calhoun Falls High School, is the daughter of Angela Pless, and has been accepted to the University of South Carolina Upstate’s Mary Black School of Nursing for her BSN.  She hopes to specialize in Hospice.)