When Sierra Cole arrived at Patrick Henry College this fall, she was joining a community her family had known for more than two decades. Her mother attended PHC, as did several aunts, uncles, and cousins. Most importantly, her own grandfather, Dr. Michael Farris, founded the college in 2000 and now serves as Chancellor Emeritus.
For years, Sierra knew PHC primarily as the college her family members attended. She knew little about her grandfather’s role in founding the school or the vision behind it. Now, as a freshman studying English with the Writing Track, she is experiencing that vision firsthand.
“I expect to learn a lot about myself and my walk with Christ at PHC,” Sierra said. “I want to figure out who I am and what I want to do with my life.”
Sierra has always had a strong interest in writing, encouraged in part by her mother’s experience as an English major at PHC. She considered other majors before choosing English (writing).
Sierra was surprised by how easily she found a place among her classmates.
“The community is so welcoming,” she said. “I never feel like I’m left out.”
Some of her favorite classes have been unexpected. She particularly enjoys Western Civilization and Economics for the Citizen, both core classes, despite what she calls her “natural dislike” of history and math. Sierra has also enjoyed getting involved outside the classroom with the Shall We Dance Society, Chorale, and Chapel Guild.
Sierra is the fourth of Farris’s grandchildren to attend PHC. Dr. Farris has encouraged each of his grandchildren to consider the college, but he has intentionally avoided pushing them toward the decision. “I don’t want to play too heavy a hand in this. I tend to try to answer questions and not volunteer too much help,” Dr. Farris said.
Dr. Farris loves that he has watched his children and grandchildren experience a college that has developed significantly since he first envisioned it.
“The school has become a richer and more elaborate tapestry than my initial vision,” he said. “A whole lot of specifics have been added over time.”
He points to developments such as the Strategic Intelligence program and new leadership within the college as examples of areas that were not part of his original plan.
As a board member, Dr. Farris sees his role as considerably different from the one he held when PHC was beginning. Yet stepping back has given him the opportunity to watch the college develop beyond his original conception of it. This year, he is spending more time on campus to help with the Forensics program, giving him a closer look at Sierra’s experience.
“I am thrilled with how happy she is,” Dr. Farris said. “I wasn’t sure how she’d react to everything, but she loves it.”
For Dr. Farris, Sierra’s experience represents both the family connection to the institution he founded and the opportunity to see the result of a Christian formation applied to classical education.
“I am delighted in Sierra’s enthusiasm for the activities on campus,” Dr. Farris said. “It thrills me as a grandfather and as a founder to know that this is where really healthy and great relationships can happen, while getting that important Christian depth. The package is working.”
Patrick Henry College exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is the foundation of America.