The Class of 2016 … Who are they?

The newest class of BSC students attended Fall Orientation in August.

They are athletic, inquisitive, reflective, proactive, outgoing, well-rounded, ambitious, passionate, congenial, adventurous, bright, articulate, and diverse. They also bring vibrant discussion to the classroom and lively energy to the Hilltop.

Birmingham-Southern College’s new first-year students are an eclectic mix—with a variety of backgrounds, philosophies, and talents. But what they all share is an attraction to a rigorous education at a leading liberal arts college in an urban landscape.

The 327 freshmen and 27 transfers joined the current students to bring total fall enrollment figures to 1,231—that’s an unprecedented 20 percent larger than last year’s. But it’s the quality of the students that serves as yet another testament to the college’s strengths.

“The incoming freshman class represents the most talented class academically in the last several years,” said Sheri Scholl Salmon ’85, associate vice president for admission. “While the average grade-point average and standardized test scores are higher than in years past, their dedication and commitment to service stands out. The class of 2016 will be leaders of the future!”

The Marino twins from Nashville, Tenn., Brandon (on right) and Braxton, are first-year students at BSC and members of the baseball team.

The Crowder twins from Cullman, Sam (on left)
and Andy, are first-year students at Birmingham-Southern.
Their brother, Jim, is a junior at BSC, and their dad,
David, graduated from the college in 1976.

Here’s a sampling of the accolades, interests, and experiences of the new students:

Kelsey Brown played for her high school women’s basketball team that won two state championships, one runner-up state championship, and three regional championships.
Chase Maxson, a Stump Scholar at BSC, was voted one of the “Top 20 Under 20 Entrepreneurs” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. He also is a professional artist who has had several gallery shows.
Lara Frost won first place in a high school advertising campaign and advanced to DECA’s annual international competition in Salt Lake City, Utah, earlier this year.
David Harrel served in numerous leadership capacities in high school and was class president his senior year. His family once owned the largest honeybee farm in Alabama.
Julie Benz has auditioned twice for American Idol and comes from a family of dog breeders. Her family personally owns 10 dogs.
Guthrie Leath is a champion public speaker and debater. He also is a world traveler, and if he keeps on target, will have visited 15 countries before he turns 20.
Ashley Ritter is a published author of three poems and a collection of personal works. She also is an avid traveler and has visited all but seven states in the U.S.
Erez Kaminski served for three years in the Israeli Defense Forces where he learned one-on-one combat and top-of-the-line weaponry and was promoted to staff sergeant.
Avery Dumont, a trumpeter, was a three-time scholar musician at his high school. He also coordinated award-winning community service projects, including an Adopt-A-Mile fundraiser and canned food drive.

The Class of 2016 is filled with athletes from numerous high school sports as well as SGA presidents and student ambassadors, journalists and yearbook editors, Eagle Scouts, and recipients of numerous civic, academic, and community service awards.

Here are more interesting tidbits about BSC’s first-year students:

They represent 23 states and 7 foreign countries: 54 percent come from Alabama, with large numbers of students from Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida. There are 11 international students who traveled from Israel, South Africa, Nepal, France, Canada, China, and Germany, and who speak 10 languages. The student who traveled the farthest is from South Africa.
The most common name among the new students is “Catherine” for the ladies and a tie between “William” and “John” for the guys.
59 percent are male and 41 percent female.
The most popular majors for incoming freshmen in fall 2012 indicated on their applications: biology, business, English, and education.
The mid-50 percent ACT composite is 26, median SAT is 1100, and more than 60 percent reported a high school grade-point average of above a 3.4. Of those who reported rank, 33 percent finished in the top 10 percent of their senior class.
34 of the students are BSC legacies (their parent or grandparent attended BSC).
Caucasian students comprise 83 percent of the first-year class; African-American students make up 10 percent; and other ethnicities—Asian, Hispanic, Multi-racial, American Indian, Middle Eastern—comprise 7 percent.