Lance Calcutt ’24
Posted on: May 13, 2024
“Some of the greatest advice I got in high school was to go get involved—no matter where you end up.”
Those are the words of Lance Calcutt, a Walterboro, SC native, who earned his Master of Organizational Leadership from North Greenville University in the spring of 2024.
Now with plans to join the United States Air Force and begin medical school at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg, Calcutt reflected on his time at NGU.
“When I got here, I fell in love with this place,” he said. “Our core values sum up what we’re about. If you want to surround yourself with faculty, staff, students, and leadership who care about you and want to see you succeed, this is the right place.”
Calcutt always had an idea of what his calling might be, but through his coursework, that calling was confirmed.
“I come from a household of physicians. Both my parents are physicians and my sister just graduated from North Greenville’s PA school. For a while, it wasn’t something I wanted to do, but the more I dug into my biology courses, the more I became fascinated by God’s greatest creation—the human body. I started feeling called to medicine, and more specifically, surgery,” he said.
Military service was also a priority for Calcutt.
I’ve always thought it would be cool to serve my country. I just didn’t know in what capacity I could do so because I also wanted to pursue medicine,” he said.
Calcutt managed to find a scholarship program within the Air Force that would allow him to serve his country as a physician will pursuing his career.
Hard work has always been the formula for success for Calcutt, who joined North Greenville’s football team as a walk-on punter and worked his way to an all-conference selection during his final year of eligibility. His time on the field and working as a graduate assistant have helped him develop the leadership skills he will need for his path ahead.
“Being in a position of leadership is tough sometimes,” he said. “Tensions can run high, and you can have a lot of different opinions. You have to learn how to truly care for people and love them.”
Calcutt’s advice to North Greenville students is the same advice he got as a high school senior: get involved.
“The best parts of college are not found sitting in your room. You have to branch out. “Walking into the cafeteria at North Greenville, I can always find someone to sit with that I know. But it’s also important to find people you don’t know and make a new friend. That’s the beauty of North Greenville’s community and It’s why I love it so much,” he said.
Calcutt said NGU served as the perfect springboard for his career.
“Whether you want to become the next politician or physician, North Greenville is going to prepare you for the next step in your life,” he said.
