Destination Pantherland – Houston, August 13, 2019

Destination Pantherland Freshman Send-off Celebrations are quickly becoming a new tradition at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). Now in their second year, these summer events welcome incoming freshmen and their families to The Hill with rousing cheer routines by the Panther Dolls Dance Team and PVAMU Cheerleaders, as well as informative presentations by the Office of Student Affairs.

“We are excited to join the PVAMU family,” said Nicole Evans, a parent of an incoming freshman who attended the send-off event with approximately 90 other guests in Dallas on August 3. “We thoroughly enjoyed Destination Pantherland and appreciated the opportunity to meet other incoming freshmen and their families. Learning about traditions at PVAMU and chants was a hoot!”

In addition to Destination Pantherland Dallas, an event was held in Houston on August 10, where about 150 freshman, parents, and alumni volunteers attended. The turnout for both the Dallas and Houston send-off celebrations grew exponentially this year, with PVAMU hosting twice as many students and families than last year. With increased attendance, alumni volunteer support was instrumental to the success of the celebrations, illustrating to guests: once a Panther, always a Panther.

“I volunteered to give back to my alma mater and could not pass up the opportunity to directly encourage students entering PVAMU,” said Robert F. Houston ’01. “I look forward to seeing the great things that the Class of 2023 will accomplish.”

“We are grateful for our alumni volunteers who made these two events possible,” said Annual Fund Director LaShonda Williams ’97. “Destination Pantherland is one of many ways that the Office of Development connects students, parents, and alumni to promote the scholarship of our students.”

Parents and family members are essential to helping students pursue their educational and career goals. As such, the Office of Development, which organizes Destination Pantherland, encourages parents and families to support the needs of all students by giving back to PVAMU.

“Parent and Family Giving supports all parents with important resources to advance the academic success of students,” said Panther Parent Program Ambassador Renee Falls at Destination Pantherland Houston. “My husband Mark and I are grateful for the excellent education and care that the university gives our children and are delighted to strengthen its efforts by giving to the Panther Parent Program. All families are invited to contribute.”

Destination Pantherland is just the first stop among many that our students will make as they become productive people at PVAMU and, as each event shows, our students do not take the journey alone. Walking alongside them are family, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the university who are dedicated to ensuring their success.

 

To learn more about how you can help transform the lives of our students through parent and family giving, please contact Angela Randolph at 936-261-1581 or alrandolph@pvamu.edu.