CLINTON, S.C. (courtesy presby.edu) — Staying socially distanced, adding face masks as part of the daily uniform, and carrying hand sanitizer everywhere they go has become the new normal for Presbyterian College students.
Despite these health and safety precautions, student organizations have gone the extra mile to ensure that their members feel included and active during these times. Rylee White, a senior from Mullins, S.C., has seen these impacts firsthand working with Delight Ministries, an all-female Christian organization on campus.
“Since Delight’s main focus is building relationships, the changes we have faced have made the leaders become creative and especially intentional,” White said.
“Weekly meetings now have a Zoom option and sometimes must be separated into multiple rooms. Last semester, we continued weekly meetings virtually and plan to do the same over this upcoming break.”
A New Community Continues to Grow
White helped to establish Delight Ministries on PC’s campus in the spring of 2019. The organization has been successful and continues to grow with more women joining each semester.
The ministry’s mission statement is “to invite college women into a Christ-centered community that fosters vulnerability and transforms stories.” White and other leaders continue to foster even in challenging conditions, occupancy limits, and long breaks from school.
“We also have plans to pair members as pen pals and maybe even have a book club over break,” White said. “Though this has complicated things, our ministry has taken it full stride and still allowed space for the Lord to move.”
Fostering Friendship and Community During the Pandemic
White meets with other women on the leadership team every week. They plan events with COVID policies in mind and allow for social distancing. The group opens events to the entire campus to foster community and friendship.
“We discuss curriculum, provide a space for vulnerability, build our friendships, and worship together,” White said. “We try to make each week special in its own way. On top of our normal meetings, the leadership team plans community events and helps host campus-wide religious events.”
Community events include brunch, weekly “delight dates,” yoga, movie nights, and testimony nights.
Faith in a Bright Future
White’s senior year has been a unique experience to say the least. She’s been busy leading an organization, applying for medical school, and trying to have a social life, all while facing a pandemic.
“I can confidently say that PC has continued to give the same quality education that they promised prior to this pandemic,” White said. “The pandemic has also built my leadership skills by forcing me to adapt and remain intentional in my relationships with others.”