ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT: Ben Griffith

What year did you graduate: 2004

Give us the highlight reel! What has changed since you transitioned from PCS student to PCS Alum? 

It’s harder to think of what hasn’t changed over the last 18 years! Wish I could say “my hairline.” The highlight reel would have to begin with marrying my wife Rebecca in 2008, and our three children (Margaret, Owen, and Libby). Before we moved to Franklin, TN, three years ago, our three kids had the enormous privilege of being PCS Bobcats themselves, with their granddaddy as their principal (Mr. Scott Griffith). After graduating from Southern Miss, I pursued a seminary degree from RTS in Jackson, while serving on the pastoral staff of First Presbyterian Church. Serving there for 12 years was a delight, as was getting to teach a few Bible classes at PCS during that time (in a classroom right next door to Ms. Sugg!). In 2019, just before the pandemic, we transitioned to Franklin, TN, where I serve on staff at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church.

What is your most impactful memory of your time at PCS?

The 2002-2003 basketball season (south state champs, baby). When my 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme got searched by drug dogs because it looked like a dealer’s car. Lots of individual memories come to mind (in the classroom and on the field), but in terms of what was most impactful, I simply remember PCS being a place where I was known, loved, challenged, accepted, and given the chance to grow. Teachers like Mrs. Sugg, Mr. Rowe, Coach Smith, Mrs. Wheat, Mrs. Foster, and many others, all contributed to making PCS a special environment that I look back on very fondly.

As you look back upon your education through the lens of a biblical worldview, how has that shaped every good endeavor that you have invested your time, talent, and treasure in since graduation?

The words of the Westminster catechism still ring in my ears, from those early days of memorizing the first question at school – “man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” I’m deeply grateful for the way that I began to learn at PCS that all truth is God’s truth, that we live in his world as his image bearers, and that every square inch of this universe belongs to and reveals him. My time at PCS gave me this lens through which to see myself and the world around me, and I’m still learning how to see through them!

How would you describe the impact of your PCS education to a family considering our school for their child?

PCS is academically challenging while being spiritually formative. The educational process aims at the head and the heart, in a safe and encouraging environment, and is stewarded by caring, qualified teachers who invest themselves in their students. This is what I experienced 18 years ago, and know remains true today.

What do the relationships you made at PCS look like today?

They look like epic, hilarious, ongoing text threads. In the last 18 years, I’ve made a lot of new friends, but like Ben Rector says, “the truth is there’s nothing like old friends.” Looking back, I wish I had kept up with more people better, but I’m so thankful for the friends I shared life with then and continue to share it with now.

What is your one piece of advice for a current PCS student?

There’s a lot of life to live after PCS. Lean into while you can, love the people around you while you can, and pursue truth, goodness, and beauty wherever you are.