Reflecting on 75 years of Student Congress
By Kayla Fordyce ’25
When I think of 75 years of Providence College Student Congress, I think of all of the members who have come through, their impacts that have rippled into massive change, their opinions that have shaped Providence College into what we know and love it as today. A significant amount of growth that this college has seen in the past 75 years has been a result of the actions of Student Congress.
Student Congress is a powerhouse. We get stuff done. I have seen it with my own eyes, time and time again. Our members love Providence College, and it is because of that love that they work so hard to improve it. Since my first day as a member, I was immediately impressed and inspired by the student leaders I was surrounded by. Student Congress is a think tank. The support that students show for each other, and the genuine interest in bettering the college, is not something that was built in a day. In the 75th year of Student Congress, I can say confidently that the decades of fostering an impactful student governing body have grown the mission of congress into a dedicated leadership and prompted Providence College’s administration to consider student input.
In preparation for the 75th Anniversary Celebration being held during Homecoming Weekend, I had the privilege of going to the PC Archives and looking through Student Congress photos, legislation, meeting minutes, etc. dating back to 1948. I saw the original Student Congress document that recommended PC host a “Co-Ed Day” as encouragement for Providence College to allow the enrollment of women. They organized the entire event and provided a report to the President’s Office as their formal recommendation to accept women to the college. This year we are celebrating the 50th graduating class of women at PC. With all the work done by students, I know this change would not have come until much later without the help of the Student Congress.
Just in my time on Student Congress, an immense amount of work has been done. The 72nd Student Congress created the Awareness, Education, and Collaboration Committee, now known as Advocacy, to promote inclusivity at an institution-wide level, and has been at the forefront of many conversations regarding our Beloved Community. Our Academic Affairs Committee has been pivotal in the development of the nursing and health sciences majors, as well as in the plans for new academic buildings on campus. We have worked to create the Friar Night Shuttle, a transportation system that now runs every night of the school year, and SO much more.
Not only does PCSC make incredible change on campus, but we also create connections and build community. Our class officers plan events for their respective classes, such as Done with Civ and annual class dances. These events have had impacts on our PC students; they have worked to foster the Friar family that we all cherish.
I have been incredibly lucky to have met and been inspired by so many student leaders on Congress. Through it, I have become more outspoken, driven, and confident in myself, both as a Congress member and as a college student growing into adulthood. As the Executive President of the 75th Student Congress, I have the unique role of supporting the work of all of those on congress and getting a front row seat to the changes they are making for Providence College. I am incredibly proud of the members I oversee and the work we do on Student Congress. I am lucky to be a member of our congress family and to be tethered to them, across distance and time, by a red string — as all Student Congress members remember!
Kayla Fordyce ’25, the president of Student Congress, is a biology and sociology double major from Killingsworth, Connecticut. She does research with Ileana Soto Reyes, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, and is an EMT who aspires to attend medical school in the future. In addition to her work with Student Congress, Fordyce co-founded PC’s EMS Club, hosts a WDOM radio show, and participates in Unified Basketball, sponsored by Special Olympics, as well as numerous intramural sports. She served as an orientation leader and is a member of the core committee for Senior Ring Weekend.
