Discipline, Grit, and The River: Stines’ Journey from Soccer to Engineering

Originally from South Mississippi, Stines was poised to become a PRCC Wildcat as several family members had already paved the way. His parents, Keith and Lori Stines, both attended The River, as did his brother, Logan Stines. The brothers both completed the Instrumentation and Electronics program.

Stines attended PRCC from August 2019 to May 2022. He was a student-athlete on the PRCC men’s soccer team, a role that required good time management and the ability to shift focus as he completed pre-engineering coursework.

“Bradley is a great young man and an extremely hard worker,” said PRCC Soccer Coach Drew Gallant. “Having him on the men’s soccer team was a truly positive experience for us. A young man with his character, work ethic, and determination is destined to do great things in life. I cannot say enough positive things about Bradley.”

The soccer program, led by Coach Drew Gallant, did a great job not only shaping a strong soccer team but also molding the student-athletes into responsible young men. Part of that development was achieved through the focus on the pillars of the Wildcat Way: Pride, Respect, Class, and Character. During his sophomore year, Stines served as team captain.

“My biggest takeaway from my coach was to adopt his sense of self-discipline,” said Stines. “To do the hard things, even when nobody is watching, has definitely helped shape the way I live my life.”

Stines was also a member of the Dr. William Lewis Honors Institute, serving as a sophomore representative and embracing opportunities for leadership and service. He became one of the faces for PRCC’s ROAR with the BEST marketing campaign.

Instructor of Physics and Mathematics Dr. Henry R. Setze is a faculty member who greatly impacted Stines while at PRCC. Stines had Setze for rigorous courses such as physics and differential equations. He credits Setze’s high standard for engineering students with preparing him to thrive in engineering courses at Mississippi State.

“Bradley was an outstanding student in my classes that year,” said Setze. “He was a great role model for the other students as he managed the academic load of engineering classwork with his activity on the field for soccer. I was proud of the way Bradley overcame all the obstacles in his path.”

Stines continued his education at Mississippi State University on a Presidential Scholarship, earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Power Systems Engineering. He has passed the State of Mississippi Professional Engineering (PE) licensure exam in power engineering. Three additional years of qualifying work experience are required to complete the licensing process.

Stines found The River provided the foundation he needed for his path into engineering. Memorable for him were the bonds formed both on and off the soccer field.

“What I think about most from my time at PRCC are the soccer practices, team lunches, bus rides, and all the time I got to spend with friends and teammates,” said Stines. “The PRCC soccer program gave me many lifelong friends, and it is also where I learned the value of discipline and grit.”

(Photos submitted by PRCC)