Mars Hill University Opens 2026-27 Academic Year, Launches New Lapel Pin Tradition for Seniors

August 27, 2026

Mars Hill University welcomed students, faculty and staff to the 2026-27 academic year ton Tuesday, August 25, 2026, with its Opening Convocation ceremony in Moore Auditorium, where campus leaders called on students to meet the year ahead with courage and conscientiousness. The university also began a new tradition by presenting undergraduate seniors their first Mars Hill University lapel pins.

Convocation, the university’s official kickoff to the academic year, featured remarks from Provost Donna Parsons; Chair of the Faculty Jonna Kwiatkowski, a psychology professor; and President Tracy Parkinson.

Parsons opened by connecting the discipline students bring to the stage, the studio and the playing field to the discipline required in the classroom.

“We readily accept that excellence requires that kind of discipline on the field, in the practice room, on the stage, and in the studio,” Parsons said. “So I challenge you to accept nothing less of yourselves in the classroom, and throughout your lives at Mars Hill.”

She framed the year ahead around two guiding values. “Courage gets us started. Conscientiousness keeps us going,” Parsons said. “Courage says, ‘I’ll try.’ Conscientiousness says, ‘I’ll show up tomorrow and try again.'”

“My hope is that we will answer that call with the courage to pursue what we do not yet know, to attempt what we cannot yet do, and to allow ourselves to be changed along the way,” Parsons told the audience. “And may we have the conscientiousness to show up, do the work, support one another, and keep going.”

Courage and conscientiousness are two of the four pillars of Mars Hill’s general education curriculum, Cultivating Character for a Fulfilling Life. Known on campus as the Four C’s, the framework also includes compassion and curiosity. Those themes carried through the rest of the ceremony.

Kwiatkowski, chair of the faculty, spoke to the broader purpose of a college education beyond the classroom.

“College is not only about what you know,” she said. “It’s also about learning what deserves your attention, how to think when the answer is not obvious, and how to make judgments about the kind of person you want to be.”

She told students that the habits of mind they build at Mars Hill are meant to serve them well beyond graduation. “Our hope as your faculty is that what happens in our classrooms will still be useful to you then,” Kwiatkowski said. “We’re here to help you prepare for a career, but we are also here to help you prepare for the life that career will be a part of.”

President Tracy Parkinson closed the ceremony with a call to community, tying it to the university’s Mountain Lions mascot and rallying cry.

“Look out for each other, support each other, encourage each other, cheer for each other, challenge each other, get to know each other, because mountain lions take care of mountain lions,” Parkinson said. “This year, be conscientious intellectuals and ask good questions. Be courageous and look for your calling. Be curious and take advantage of living in a world house. And this year, be compassionate and look out for each other, because mountain lions do take care of mountain lions. Roll Hill!”

In doing so, Parkinson brought the ceremony full circle, touching on all four pillars of the university’s character curriculum—conscientiousness, courage, curiosity and compassion—in a single closing charge to students.

This year’s Convocation also introduced a new campus tradition: the presentation of a Mars Hill University lapel pin to every undergraduate senior. The pins mark the start of each senior’s final year at Mars Hill and are intended to be worn as a visible symbol of their place in the university community.