黑料专区

When Landon Orrand 鈥�23, a first-generation college student from Baxter, Tenn., began attending 黑料专区 four years ago on a full-tuition scholarship, she was less than optimistic about her prospects. 鈥淚 was so shy,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 had terrible anxiety. I never imagined myself becoming a leader.鈥�

Orrand鈥檚 view of things has changed dramatically, and, as her Facebook friends have noticed, she can鈥檛 thank Pfeiffer enough.

A member of Pfeiffer鈥檚 Undergraduate Honors Program with a 4.0 GPA, she鈥檚 writing a thesis on the American perception of Critical Race Theory. She鈥檚 majoring in four subjects: Visual Communication, Studio Art, Communication, and Educational Studies.

Outside the classroom, she鈥檚 taken on lots of leadership roles. She鈥檚 a Francis Scholar and the Coordinator of Servant Leadership at Pfeiffer鈥檚 Francis Center for Servant Leadership. She chairs the Marketing, Publicity, and Friend-raising Committee of the Campus Activities Board (CAB). She鈥檚 served as a student leader for Pfeiffer鈥檚 Summer Orientation, Advising & Registration (SOAR) programming. And she鈥檚 the President of the Education Club.

You might think, then, that Orrand has embraced every opportunity Pfeiffer has afforded her, and that there鈥檚 really nothing left for her to do before she graduates. She would disagree:

In her eyes, the people of Pfeiffer played a pivotal role in her success at the University and deserve to be thanked. So, during each of her last 100 days at Pfeiffer, she鈥檚 paying tribute to a different Pfeiffer person in a message of gratitude she鈥檚 posted on Facebook.

鈥淧feiffer is full of good people,鈥� Orrand said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 our strength.鈥�

The people whom Orrand has featured or will feature in her Facebook project run the gamut. They include everyone from students and professors to staffers and maintenance workers.

Kennise Brown 鈥�24, who鈥檚 double majoring in Counseling and Human Services and in Communication, tops the list of Orrand鈥檚 favorite students. Orrand describes Brown, her roommate, as 鈥渢he most selfless person I鈥檝e ever met.鈥� As part of her work as a Francis Scholar, Orrand recruited students from Pfeiffer to help construct the 57th house of Stanly County Habitat for Humanity, beginning in the fall of 2021. This meant they had to be at the worksite on Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. The temptation to sleep in was sometimes hard to resist.

Brown went to the worksite every single time. 鈥淪he鈥檚 willing to drop anything she has to do to help someone else,鈥� Orrand said.

Then, there are the professors. Before Orrand attended Pfeiffer, she loved drawing but never felt she could take her art to the next level. Joshua Cross, a former Associate Professor of Art at Pfeiffer, inspired Orrand to pursue a major in studio art.  

Cross 鈥渋s one of the best people I鈥檝e ever met,鈥� Orrand said. 鈥淗e cares about students beyond the classroom. He teaches art, but also life lessons. He made me love Pfeiffer even more because I saw how deeply he cared for students and our small school. He鈥檚 so humble and intelligent, and I hope to be like him one day.鈥�

Paula Morris 鈥�17 MSL, Pfeiffer鈥檚 Director of Student Involvement, and Ron Laffitte, its Dean of Students, are among the administrators who鈥檝e made the biggest impact on Orrand.

Orrand described Morris as her 鈥渂oss in CAB for almost three years鈥� and 鈥渓ike a second mom to me.鈥�

鈥淚 always find myself in Paula鈥檚 office telling her about my day,鈥� Orrand said. 鈥淪he works so hard, and she鈥檚 so good with students. I know I can always go to her with anything. She鈥檚 the best!鈥�

As for Laffitte, 鈥渉e is the most genuine and kind person I鈥檝e ever met,鈥� Orrand said.

Orrand鈥檚 Facebook project has its origins in 鈥淐ookies and Thank You Cards,鈥� a Francis Center-organized event in which students were asked to write a note of thanks to anyone at Pfeiffer who made a difference in their lives. Each person who got a note also received a cookie decorated with frosting.

鈥淐ookies and Thank You Cards鈥� made Orrand think of the people who didn鈥檛 receive a card because they aren鈥檛 on the 鈥渇ront line鈥� as professors are, such as Damion Miller 鈥�09, the Acquisitions Collection Development Librarian at Pfeiffer. So Orrand wrote him one after the event, expressing appreciation for how positive and kind he is.

鈥淎nytime I see him in the library, he鈥檚 smiling, waving, and asking about my day,鈥� Orrand said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a very helpful librarian, but the friendship we鈥檝e formed goes way beyond that to include wonderful conversations.鈥�

When Miller, who鈥檚 also featured in the Facebook project, received Orrand鈥檚 card, he emailed her back immediately.

The card 鈥渞eally made my day and my week,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淛ust this morning I was thinking how maybe, I wasn鈥檛 making a difference any longer with the students. Thanks for your kind words. You are such a great young lady, and I鈥檓 sure your parents are proud of you.鈥�

Orrand is full of gratitude for her family.聽 鈥淢y parents, grandparents, and younger sister have always supported me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait for them to watch me walk across the stage and receive my diploma at commencement.鈥�