The Pioneer Pinnacle
Every year, Spartanburg Methodist College students engage their curiosity in the pursuit of knowledge. Inspired by dedicated professors, students share their original research and demonstrate their intellectual skills in high-quality research papers or projects submitted at the end of a course. The research produced through Spartanburg Methodist College classes is inspiring, and the Pioneer Pinnacle offers us a way to recognize the many facets of academic excellence that characterize the work we do here.
The Pioneer Pinnacle is a brand-new interdisciplinary journal that showcases a select set of high-quality research papers authored by students at Spartanburg Methodist College. We also invite research projects that are not the typical research paper completed for a class.
We are looking for papers from any discipline at Spartanburg Methodist College. This includes Science, Business, Religion, History, Psychology, English, Criminal Justice, or the Fine Arts.
As a student at Spartanburg Methodist College, you are invited to submit your own research paper for possible publication in the Pioneer Pinnacle.
Pioneer Pinnacle, First Edition, October 2023
Pioneer Pinnacle, Second Edition, November 2024, Medieval Matters Issue
Pioneer Pinnacle, Third Edition, April 2025
Pioneer Pinnacle, Fourth Edition, November 2025
The Second, Third, and Fourth Editions were designed by Qebin Padilla-Gonzalez. He is majoring in Professional Writing and Digital Communication at Spartanburg Methodist College.
Qebin Padilla-Gonzalez was recognized for Excellence in Production and Design at the Awards Ceremony, Spring 2025.
Pioneer Pinnacle Award
This award is given to a current SMC student whose contribution to the Pioneer Pinnacle demonstrates their curiosity and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge and reflects their commitment to excellence in research and scholarship.
2025 Recipient: John Wilson, "His Aim is True: An Analysis of Geoffrey Chaucer's 'The Legend of Roman Lucrece, Martyr"
What happens next?
Submissions are collected each semester and then reviewed by a small group of faculty and staff. Students will be notified by email of the status of their submissions no later than June 1st of each year. The Pioneer Pinnacle will be published in October of each year.
Students retain all rights to their own work. All work will be edited by the Pioneer Pinnacle prior to publication.
Contact information
If you have any questions, please reach out!
Kristen Welch, Assistant Professor of English, welchk@smcsc.edu
Maria Kithcart, Assistant Professor of Business, kithcartm@smcsc.edu