USCB Welcomes the Class of 2027
USCB Chancellor Dr. Al Panu.More than 480 first-year students began their college careers this week at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.
Dr. Al Panu, USCB’s chancellor, launched the 2023-24 school year at Opening Convocation on August 23. It was the university’s 20th opening convocation.
In welcoming the Class of 2027 to campus, Panu told the new students that USCB will prepare them to make significant contributions to their communities.
“Over the next four years, our talented faculty and dedicated staff will work diligently to provide you with a first-class education,” he said. “We will challenge you in and out of the classroom. Your experiential learning will include undergraduate research, internships, study abroad and service learning.”
USCB alum Victoria Smalls, executive director of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor National Heritage Area, delivered the keynote address.
She advised the Class of 2027 to be committed to their college journey and their dreams, no matter what challenges may arise along the way.
“As you step on to this campus you embark on a path that holds within it a promise of knowledge, growth and discovery,” she said. “Persevere with purpose. Be courageous. Be compassionate. Be inclusive. Be remarkable. Be kind.”
Smalls is a recipient of the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest civilian honor in the United States, presented by President Joe Biden in 2022.
Unofficially, this year’s USCB entering class is 67.9% female and 42% students of color. More than 75% percent of the class is from South Carolina.
“We are setting out on this journey together,” Panu told the first-year students. “No one will be prouder of you than I will be when we shake hands on Commencement Day. Congratulations, you are now officially Sand Sharks.”