May 14, 2017
Long Time PACS Marketing Director, Linda Zeagler, Retires
Perhaps the PACS community has felt a sense of familiarity when seeing the Prince “P” on cars around town, proudly worn the athletic Wolverine on a team shirt, smiled when seeing the school crest on their child’s school award, or enjoyed passing a Prince billboard along the highway.
These very familiar hallmarks of the PACS school culture have come about through the influence and ingenuity of the recently retired Marketing Director of Prince Avenue Christian School, Linda Zeagler.
Having joined the staff of Prince in 1999, Mrs. Zeagler has seen the school grow and change in many profound and significant ways. As a result, her fingerprints can be seen on almost every aspect of the school. Most notably, Mrs. Zeagler’s tenure saw the development and implementation of the school’s very recognizable blue, gold, and white brand with the academic crest, competitive Wolverine, and spirited “P”. But her influence does not stop there.
The school’s web site, Ren Web, school store, social media sites, local news presence, school event and activity pictures, and basic communications have been developed, implemented, and protected under the careful and watchful eye of Mrs. Zeagler.
Having had her own three children graduate from Prince, Mrs. Zeagler knows first-hand the value that Prince Avenue Christian School has to students and families. With this experience, she has historically taken a personal interest in protecting the name and the mission of the school and in communicating this to the community as well as the region. As Prince has grown in numbers and influence, so has the responsibility of communications and marketing.
Mrs. Zeagler explains,“When Prince Avenue Christian School moved to our new campus in Oconee County, we took the opportunity to begin to communicate our brand to the community, as we helped others understand that we are a distinctly Christian college prep school which offers excellent academics, athletics and fine arts programs grounded in a Biblical worldview. Communicating our brand involved much more than developing a new logo, solidifying school colors and developing visual representations with the mascot. Building our brand meant consistently telling the story of Prince Avenue Christian School in such a way that the word PRINCE became synonymous with the concepts of Excellence, Distinctly Christian, and College Prep School.”
Throughout her 18 years at Prince, Mrs. Zeagler has contributed in many other areas as well. She spent time in the classroom teaching computer and yearbook. She also coached tennis and drove buses for school events as well as a morning and afternoon route.
These various contributions were visible and tangible evidence of a deeper influence in which Mrs. Zeagler was investing in the people of Prince. Known as a wise and encouraging confidant, many students, parents, and peers have sought her counsel through the years. One co-worker explained, “I remember meeting Linda in the hallway during student orientation and thinking to myself, ‘I hope she and I will become friends’. She was so friendly and interesting. She went out of her way to make a new-comer feel welcome. Linda turned out to be a wonderful co-worker and a kind supporter to my children.”
Another peer described Mrs. Zeagler’s compassion toward students. “Linda took care of students in ways that many others may not have seen. She went above and beyond to be the hands of feet of Jesus to students in difficult circumstances or to students who were just having a hard day. She could often be seen encouraging and helping kids who desperately needed a helping hand.”
Parents know Mrs. Zeagler to be a valuable resource of anything Prince. This parent said, “If I had a question, I could always call Mrs. Zeagler. She usually knew the answer, but if she did not, she could certainly point me in the right direction. She went the extra mile to help solve problems, offer guidance, and keep parents and students on track. She will be sorely missed in the Prince community.”
Although Mrs. Zeagler has had many areas of influence in the school, the most significant to her personally has been the students themselves. “Prince kids are a very special group of boys and girls who taught me to love big and to enjoy their diversity and personalities. My students, bus riders, and school store workers are extra special to me because I had the privilege of showing them a little about Jesus’ love for them every day.”
Mrs. Zeagler has moved to Lake Keowee in South Carolina to enjoy retirement with her husband Ed. She is taking some time to relax, but not surprisingly, she is staying busy. She has already begun to help another small private Christian school in her new area develop its marketing and communications strategy. “I feel I still have something to offer schools who are in the phase of growth where Prince was 10 to 15 years ago. It is exciting to see a smaller school fulfill its potential as it grows and develops. However, I have to be sure that I type ‘Warrior’ instead of ‘Wolverine’! Old habits die very hard.”
Mrs. Zeagler is pictured here in front of the PACS backdrop that bears the images she helped to brand.