FSU Panama City’s freshman class officially joined the Florida State community Sunday, Aug. 28, during the campus’s Freshman Convocation. Surrounded by family, friends, faculty and staff, 16 new students were called one by one to be robed as Florida State Seminoles.

FSU Panama City’s freshman class officially joined the Florida State community Sunday, Aug. 28, during the campus’s Freshman Convocation.

Surrounded by family, friends, faculty and staff, 16 new students were called one by one to be robed as Florida State Seminoles. The freshmen also learned about university history and traditions and recited the Seminole Creed.

“The college experience is one that allows students to explore their interests and reach their potential. It shapes a person into his or her future self and provides a pathway to a successful career,” Interim Dean Randy Hanna said. “FSU Panama City will provide these students with a great academic foundation, and we are proud to have them join our academic community.”

Keynote speaker Jerome Barnes, Ph.D., a faculty member from the electrical engineering program, stressed the significance of the academic milestone.

“The wearing of this robe is not something to be taken lightly for only a few in this world will ever have the privilege of such an opportunity,” Barnes said to freshmen. “It represents a special achievement that only comes to the few who are willing to study, work hard, sacrifice and complete the requirements for the baccalaureate degree.

“You are some of the most gifted and talented students in America. Because of that, the bar at FSU is high, but it is not too high for you.”

Student speakers Alexandria Hall and Joshua Bittel, who both started as freshmen at FSU Panama City, stressed involvement on campus and within the community for a more fulfilling college experience.

“School goes by much faster when it is filled with friends and memories,” said Hall, an elementary education major who is president pro tempore of the campus’s Student Government Council. “Classes and books might cost money, but the relationships you build here will be priceless.”

“I really encourage all to use your college experience to give back, not only to the campus but the whole community,” said Bittel, a computer science major. “Make your college experience more than just a classroom. Get out, and see the world you live in and how you can help.”

Bittel has volunteered for the past year throughout the community through the campus’s Student Ambassador program.

Incoming freshman Marshall Sowell said he and his mother were impressed with the ceremony and the prestigious welcome to the new students.

“I thought it was an amazing honor to be welcomed into the Seminole home like we were. It was a priceless experience that ensured that I made the best decision to go to FSU PC,” said Sowell, an electrical engineering major.

Most freshmen said they chose FSU Panama City because of its quality education and small campus atmosphere.

“My parents and friends like the school, think it's beautiful and cannot wait for me to attend,” said Alicia Vance, who hopes to study nursing. “I'm looking forward to the small environment and how everyone is so friendly.”

“I am most looking forward to the quality of education,” said Morgan Beecher, an exploratory major. “I've missed a challenging academic dynamic, the push to strive for excellence, and FSU embodies just that.”

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