Madison Willis, of Whitmire, was named the Student Employee of the Year at USC Aiken.
AIKEN — Each year, the University of South Carolina Aiken chooses one standout Pacer as its Student Employee of the Year.
This year, that honor goes to Madison Willis a First PACE mentor. In this role, the Whitmire native is responsible for helping fellow Pacers succeed. First PACE is a highly-selective, invitation-only provisional acceptance program designed for first-year students who have academic potential but do not meet the standardized testing, GPA, or high school class ranking requirements to be offered admission as a USC Aiken student.
“This program provides a supportive and structured environment for successful transition and academic achievement at USC Aiken. Students in First PACE have access to program only courses and are introduced to college success techniques, study skills and strategies, academic resources, mentoring, and community events,” said Dr. Stacie Williams director of the program. “Students offered provisional admission through First PACE are expected to fully embrace this opportunity and commit to the First PACE challenge. We provide the PACE by Promoting Academic Commitment and Excellence and then expect our students to take the first step toward keeping the PACE.”
According to Williams, Willis, who completed the First PACE program herself, has “gone above and beyond by mentoring, teaching and leading with her heart.”
“Even with resistant students, she held them accountable, yet found ways to encourage them and showed belief in their potential, and personally created incentive opportunities that encouraged them to do their best,” Williams added.
Willis has taken the initiative to develop new strategies for students. For example, this year she introduced ways to create the element of competition and games into activities. Many of the First PACE students are competitive and have seized opportunities because of these delivery methods. She also has collaborated with other offices to deliver important information to First PACE members.
She plays a huge role in training new mentors, helping them to be effective leaders for a population that can face extra challenges on the road to a college degree. During the university’s transition to remote delivery of instruction because of COVID-19, Willis volunteered to continue mentoring and encouraging “her students,” albeit virtually.
She can easily connect to these students because she’s been there, university leaders say.
“There are often stories of students coming back to be leaders of programs they once participated in,” said Williams. “Madison Willis is a perfect example as the lead mentor for the First PACE Program. Upon her successful completion of the program, she immediately turned around and volunteered to be a mentor. Three years later, she has ascended to lead mentor and continually works to help students in the program.”
Those who work with her describe Willis as honest, approachable, energetic, hardworking, humble, compassionate, organized and a team player. Besides her work with First PACE, she is a student assistant with the USC Aiken Police Department and a research assistant with the biology department. All agree, they will have a hard time adjusting to life without the biology major who graduated this year.
“Madison was first my student, then my employee and will forever be a part of my heart. She is now family,” Williams said.