Last month, Dalton State College celebrated its 2023 Homecoming. Students, faculty and staff demonstrated school pride through collaboration, participation and support of Homecoming week activities, including our inaugural Homecoming parade. The week of celebration culminated with the crowning of our Homecoming court winners during halftime of our basketball game at Mashburn Arena, followed by a formal “bash” for students.
As the week unfolded, I reflected on the importance of such activities outside the classroom. None of these activities will appear on students’ transcripts, yet they are deeply important to the success of Dalton State and the development of our students.
School pride is helpful for both students and employees. Employees are typically more effective in their assigned responsibilities when they believe passionately in their work. I am proud to be part of Roadrunner Nation, and I hope this attitude is evident in my work. I certainly see it across campus in our faculty and staff. Our employees are at Dalton State because they believe in our mission, and they believe we are making a difference in the lives of our students and Northwest Georgia.
School pride also plays a critical role in students’ academic success. Every student wants to be proud to tell their friends where they attend college and future employers where they earned their degree. It may not be intuitive, but students who have friends and are engaged in fun activities throughout their college career are also more engaged with academics. They are more likely to persevere when classes get tough if they have a strong support network and are otherwise happy with their school.
Students, employees and alumni become more invested in Dalton State as they are cheering on our student athletes, celebrating victories in intercollegiate competitions and observing other college achievements. Imagine my joy when I hear a current student proudly sharing information with our community about our regional and national rankings for a quality education and excellent return on investment.
I love seeing students on and off campus wearing Dalton State shirts or posting about their achievements on social media. It can start meaningful conversations about why college matters and how Dalton State could be the right choice for prospective students. When I see our students posting their academic and extracurricular accomplishments at Dalton State, I know they will endure through graduation.
They are proud of their achievements and glad to share their experiences. That’s school pride at its best.
Our students are actively engaged in developing themselves beyond the classroom in many ways. Some students engage in research with their professors. Others are leaders in campus organizations; some participate in community service and internships in their future career fields. Throughout these experiences and others, our students develop pride in Dalton State and themselves.
At Dalton State, we like to say we run boldly, and that really seems to fit us. Our employees are not satisfied with mediocrity in themselves or their students. We expect the best of our students but are willing to do what is necessary to support that success. Alumni have often referred to Dalton State as “Harvard on the highway.” That’s school pride, recognizing the value of the education our students receive due to the high standards of our faculty. I’m proud of that nickname because it reflects our excellent return on investment due to our bold ambitions.
As Roadrunners, we believe in our students and create an atmosphere where students thrive and make essential contributions to our community. Dalton State’s culture helps students recognize in themselves what the rest of us can already see — our students and alumni are highly talented. We are proud of all they accomplish.
At Dalton State, we not only run boldly, but we also compete boldly, play boldly, lead boldly, serve boldly and teach boldly. We are bold.
That attitude, often displayed through school pride, helps our college prosper. If you haven’t visited Dalton State recently, I highly encourage you to come and see our school pride for yourself. Walking the campus will reveal a lot about what we are doing, but a scheduled tour will give you a more in-depth look at the exciting opportunities available to our students.
On Saturday, March 25, we are hosting our Tour+ event. Tour+ is our Saturday campus visit to learn firsthand about our campus, faculty, staff and current students. You can register at daltonstate.edu.