United States Senator

Earlier this month I spent time with the dedicated faculty and staff of Sumter High School. The attitude of the staff and the overall vision of the school left me encouraged.

SHS, like most schools, has its own set of unique challenges. It is one of the five largest schools in South Carolina and serves a rural area with a high-poverty rate, yet, it has an above-average graduation rate. As I walked the halls, I encountered students who were excited about education; I spoke to classes and found them to be engaged and focused.

It’s clear to me what motivates the students: their studies are made relevant by applied learning. Teachers are “connecting the dots” to show students how the skills they are mastering in the classroom will make them more competitive in the job market.

At SHS, many students are taking classes off-campus at Tuomey Medical Center to learn skills that will make them marketable in the health care field. Education courses are being taught to students who are interested in teaching. Students are learning how to craft a superior resume. The University of South Carolina-Sumter is lending professors to teach courses on the High School campus.

And the results are impressive. The vast majority of students leaving SHS are competitive and prepared to do business in a global market place. These young men and women from a small town in the middle of South Carolina will be competing with students China, India and all over the world.

That’s why schools across the country could take a lesson from what is going on at Sumter High. As we educate the next generation, we must make sure that success in school translates into success in life.

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