Incoming students bring well-rounded, inspirational backgrounds
August 14, 2020
New students, including the Class of 2024 and transfer students, arrive on the Roanoke College campus this weekend. Conditions of their arrival may not be ideal, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but these new Maroons have their eyes on a bright future.
Nearly 500 freshmen and 57 transfer students are starting their careers at Roanoke this month. They come from 30 states, from Maine to California. That’s the highest number of states represented since 2017, when students came from 33 states.
One out of six newcomers ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class, and the average high school GPA of incoming students is over 3.50. Popular areas of interest among incoming students include psychology, biology, business administration and pre-med, among others.
“We will forever remember this incoming class. They have passed their first college test just by persevering through their unique college selection process,” said Dr. Brenda Poggendorf ’81, vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid. “They are courageous with a sense of adventure. We heartily welcome them to the Roanoke College community and look forward to all they bring.”
Already, even before setting foot on campus, members of the Class of 2024 have proven themselves.
Take, for example, Fair Haven, New Jersey native Bobby Hoye. When the New Jersey Marathon was postponed in April, Hoye decided to run it anyway — and to do it for a cause. He ran 26.2 miles on his home treadmill, raising money for local hospital and health care workers along the way. He asked people to donate to the Jersey Shore University Medical Center during his run, and raised more than $6,400 for the hospital. Now Hoye is enrolled in Roanoke's Honors Program.
They have passed their first college test just by persevering through their unique college selection process.
Dr. Brenda Poggendorf ’81, vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid, on the incoming class.
Incoming students have proven themselves to be well-rounded, like Hannah Shay of Keysville, Virginia. Shay, a three-sport athlete who also finds time to volunteer, all while maintaining a stellar GPA, was awarded the Charlotte County APVA Scholarship this summer. Not only did she excel in her high school classes, but Shay enters Roanoke with an associate degree in General Studies, which she earned through the Governor’s School of Southside Virginia and Southside Virginia Community College.
Inspirational stories can be found in this class, exemplified by Greenville, Virginia native Tyler Wilmer. Wilmer, who plans to run track and cross country at Roanoke, battled an eating disorder as a high school student. Now, he’s looking to major in exercise science and nutrition so he can help others, he told The News Virginian, his hometown newspaper.
“If I can ever help someone else so much as an inch and keep them away from the path I took, my mission will be complete,” Wilmer told the News Virginian.
With move-in this weekend, members of the Class of 2024 begin their collegiate journeys, each one unique.