PCS upperclassmen students greet freshmen as they board the busses for the annual PCS Retreat.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2022 | BY KA'TANI GOUCH
Bright, smiling faces, gourmet cookies, lip-sync battles and the president of the University of Oklahoma? This must be heaven - or at least pretty close to it!
At the beginning of the semester, President’s Community Scholars student leaders and OU staff members welcomed the new PCS class of 2022! We kicked off the three-day journey with our annual PCS Welcome Event. This has to be one of my favorite events of the year, besides the retreat of course, because the excitement in the room is buzzing and bouncing off of all four walls. The energy is contagious, but so is the anxiety. I went around the event and asked a couple of students how they felt about the weekend ahead and the answers I got immediately transported me back to my freshman year.
— Reed Roberts
I continued to get the same answers - students were nervous. This excited me because every single member of PCS leadership has been in these freshmen’s shoes. This mentorship opportunity is why many of us are in the positions we hold. There is so much joy found in giving these students a sense of comfort in an otherwise very uncomfortable setting.
The next morning we loaded the buses and headed to an “undisclosed location.” Each bus got the opportunity to meet at least half of the other students they rode with as we played a speed friend dating game. We learned some interesting things about each other like our favorite candies, our dream talents and what we would do if we had $1 million. I can tell you right now, there are some PCSers that I will never let borrow money from me.
Students cheer on their peers at the low-ropes course.
PCS small group in their western gear for the Western Party.
The next morning, our freshmen were awoken by a hearty breakfast and jazzercise. If anyone wants to hire me to teach jazzercise classes, I am pretty affordable. As we started to close out the retreat my favorite part was upon us - reflections. Because I love this moment so much I’ll tell you a little about it (just do not tell my boss).
The reflections activity is a moment where students get into their small groups and anonymously write what they learned at this retreat. Responses vary from what they are excited about to what worries them as freshmen students. These pieces of paper are crumpled up and thrown across the room - a confetti of lessons, hopes and worries. Everyone then picks up a random ball of paper and reads the words written on it.
Now I may just be a constant emotional wreck, but I dare you to sit in this room with less than four hours of sleep and not shed a tear at the words our freshmen wrote. As a person who has been a part of PCS and the leadership team for almost four years now, it was such a beautiful moment to witness. I’m going to stop hyping it up and just let you all read these poetic works of art.
Alright, that's enough. These are real words by real students that had the time of their lives, in the middle of nowhere, with over 100 complete strangers. While PCS is a prestigious community service organization with the president’s name attached to it, those words you just read … that is what PCS is all about.
President’s Community Scholars is composed of students who want to make a difference in their community. President Joseph Harroz Jr. recognizes the community service efforts of our high school's best and brightest scholars through the President's Community Scholars scholarship. Administered by the Office of Leadership and Volunteerism from the Division of Student Affairs, PCS provides high-achieving high school students with the best possible freshman experience through service to local, state, and global communities.
