Winthrop’s Mahony: From one ‘freshman’ to another, ‘be all-in’

More than 30 years before becoming president of one of South Carolina’s oldest and most diverse public universities, Dan Mahony spent his undergraduate college years like most other students: figuring out how to balance academics and fun.

And, sometimes, he failed at finding the balance, Mahony told Winthrop University’s new students on Monday.

As a first-semester freshman at Virginia Tech, “I did nothing else except to go to class,” he said. “I was lonely and I was miserable ... I should have got involved with something.”

Three academic degrees later and with more than 20 years of professional university experience under his belt, Mahony is Winthrop’s 11th president. He received national recognition recently with a mid-career higher education leadership award from the American Association of University Administrators.

Mahony served as the university’s keynote speaker during Monday’s traditional Convocation ceremony to welcome new students, mostly freshmen. He started work at Winthrop on July 1 so his message to young students was “Advice From One Winthrop Freshman to the Other Freshmen.”

His words of wisdom ranged from “don’t run home every weekend” to “take risks” and be “all-in” during your college experience. Mahony’s 15-minute speech – peppered with anecdotes from his own experiences – cut through what is typically a formal, traditional ceremony.

He shared stories about being rejected for dates, being timid about getting involved in campus clubs and organizations, and letting his grades take a hit during his senior year because he skipped some classes.

His mistakes, Mahony said, are ones he hopes Winthrop freshmen can learn from.

“We can’t force you ... You’ve got to be all-in,” he said.

Mahony encouraged Winthrop students to take advantage of help from caring and capable faculty members, to manage their study and class time wisely, and to look outside the classroom for chances to do community service, join clubs, and attend university events.

Mahony noted that this year’s freshman class of more than 1,090 students includes:

▪ Students from 25 states and several countries around the world, including Australia and Taiwan

▪ A National Achievement Scholar

▪ A Parade Magazine High School All-American athlete – the first in school history

▪ The highest number of valedictorians and salutatorians in one class in school history

Other speakers on Monday included: Rock Hill Mayor Doug Echols, Winthrop Board of Trustees Chairwoman Kathy Bigham, Student Body President Ray McKetty, and Winthrop faculty leader and English professor John Bird.

This story was originally published August 24, 2015 at 8:19 PM with the headline "Winthrop’s Mahony: From one ‘freshman’ to another, ‘be all-in’."