Rotarian Wiley Cleland welcomed Pearl River Community College’s newly promoted athletic director, coach Michael Avalon, to speak to the Rotary Club Sept. 16. Coach Avalon shared his “faith and family first — then athletics” philosophy. All the coaches at PRCC believe that student athletes are there to learn first and then succeed at sports. Avalon shared that PRCC has 13 sports program, 12 of which have collective GPAs of 3.0 or higher; PRCC produced 180 total athletic wins during the 2024-2025 school year, tying for first in the state; and the school recently added archery and Esports to expand opportunities for students. He also announced PRCC’s new mentoring program, which features baseball players mentoring young boys from local communities, including Marion County. The Rotary Club extends a big “thank you” to Cleland for bringing one of his mentors to share all the great things happening at PRCC.
