Five District Five students have been awarded the South Carolina Teaching Fellowship.
The students will receive up to $24,000 in yearly scholarships (up to $6000 a year for four years) to attend a Teaching Fellows Institution in South Carolina. Each Fellow agrees to teach in South Carolina one year for every year they receive the Fellowship.
The students include: Aiden Allen (Irmo High, College of Charleston), Brynne Barnaby (Chapin High, University of South Carolina), Brooklyn DeWitt (Chapin High, North Greenville University), Ezelle Sternenberg (Chapin High, University of South Carolina), and Samantha Wilkerson (Irmo High, Coastal Carolina University).
Applicants for the program undergo a selection process that includes an online application, an interview and presentation in front of a team of three educators, and a scored response.
The state’s Teaching Fellows Program, operated by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA), was established in 1999 by the SC General Assembly. The mission of the program is to recruit talented high school seniors into the teaching profession and help them develop leadership qualities. Each year, the program provides Fellowships for up to 215 high school seniors who have exhibited high academic achievement, a history of service to their school and community, and a desire to teach in South Carolina.
“We are so proud of our seniors who have earned this prestigious recognition and opportunity, and we are thankful for all of our wonderful teachers and families who helped influence their decision to pursue a degree in education,” said School District Five Chief Academics Officer Tina McCaskill. “These students are shining examples of why the Teaching Fellows program was created– to recruit the best and brightest to the teaching profession and to continue to develop and enhance their leadership abilities. We look forward to welcoming them into the profession (hopefully back home in D5) in a few years.”
For more information about the South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, visit teachingfellowsc.com.
