Patti Peabody, a long-time member of the Augusta University community, has retired after 37 years working in admissions. Her connection to the university began when she chose to attend Augusta College, one of Augusta University’s legacy schools, after graduating from the Academy of Richmond County in 1981. She double majored in political science and sociology.
Peabody became involved in student government as a freshman and pledged Zeta Tau Alpha. She later became the first elected female student government president at Augusta College, which came with a full scholarship. “Those things kept me really busy, and it gave me a lot of good experience. It allowed me to meet a lot of new people, too,” Peabody said.
After graduation, Peabody explored various jobs before accepting a recruiter position in admissions at her alma mater. “Turns out the person they hired left after a month, and they called me back and offered me the job,” Peabody said. “And I never left.”
She retired in October after nearly four decades dedicated to helping students navigate the admissions process. “Just helping them figure out what to do and how to get in, I enjoyed the contact with the students and the parents. I enjoyed seeing them through,” she said. “I would love to go to graduation and see people, and they would stop and say, ‘Thank you for helping me get into college.’ I would be so glad and tell them I’m so proud of them. That feeling of helping people is wonderful, and that’s what admissions is.”
Peabody emphasized that campus visits were key for prospective students: anything can look good on paper but experiencing campus life firsthand made a difference.
Heather Metress, AU’s registrar who worked alongside Peabody for years, described her as someone who fostered strong connections within the university community. “She really modeled for my husband and I how to stay active with your alma mater. Patti makes everything fun. She is a natural includer. She includes everybody, and people are drawn to her,” Metress said.
Metress added that Peabody’s enthusiasm was influential: “Her love for the university is contagious, because she gets you involved.”
Dip Metress, men’s basketball coach at Augusta University, also spoke about Peabody’s longstanding support for athletics: “We’d be at her favorite Mexican restaurant, and the number of times we’re sitting there, and people would come up to her and say, ‘Hey, I appreciate you helping me get in school.’ She can literally sit there and say, ‘I helped that person get into school 20 years ago,’ or ‘I helped that person’s daughter get in school.’ She bleeds Augusta. If you asked her favorite color, it’s going to be Jaguar blue.”
Katherine Sweeney—retired assistant vice president for student success—has known Peabody for over four decades: “She was always a go-to for information about the university, whether it be past or present.” Sweeney noted Peabody’s remarkable memory: “Patti helped hundreds of students enroll…she remembers almost every one of them…Each and every student knew Patti was in their corner and doing everything she could to make their experience a good one.”
Chris Gay—a graduate of Augusta State University—said few embody Jaguar spirit like Peabody: “If you cut Patti open, she would bleed Jaguar blue.” He recalled seeing her supporting teams during significant sporting events far from home.
Sweeney summarized Peabody’s qualities as collegiality, compassion, inclusivity, integrity—and unwavering support for Jaguar athletics: “She has been leading for most of her life…And aside from all of these things, she is probably the biggest Jaguar sports fan the university has ever had.”
Dip Metress added that Peabody remains central among supporters: “There’s about two or three people I can think of but she’s definitely on the Mount Rushmore of fans of Augusta University Athletics and Augusta University.”
