Press Release
Columbia, SC – Madelyn Brooks, a senior at SC Whitmore School (SCWS), a statewide online public charter high school, has been awarded the prestigious South Carolina Teaching Fellowship.
“I’m very excited to have been chosen as a SC Teaching Fellow, especially at Winthrop University which was my first choice!” said Brooks. “I’m really looking forward to all the professional development opportunities that I’ll get to participate in with my cohort. I’m very grateful to Mr. Traylor Disbrow, my SCWS counselor, and Ms. Emily Grigg, my dual enrollment professor at Spartanburg Community College, who supported me throughout the process of applying to college and for scholarships. I’m so ready to begin my path to become a teacher, which I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl.”
Madelyn will join the freshman cohort at Winthrop University this fall where she will be offered numerous professional development opportunities and be involved with communities and businesses through various service projects and partnerships with local schools.
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 200 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.
SC Whitmore School Principal, Eboné Adams said, “We are so proud of Madelyn! This is the first time that one of our students achieved this great accomplishment. The selection process is very rigorous and only the best and brightest are chosen which is a testament to Madelyn’s talent, as well as her passion and commitment to making an impact on future students and the community.”
Applicants for the program undergo an extensive selection process that includes an online application, an interview and presentation in front of a team of three educators, and a scored response.
Following the rigorous selection process, applicants who are awarded a Fellowship 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 he or she receives the Fellowship.
In addition to being named to the South Carolina Teaching Fellowship, Madelyn has also been awarded Winthrop's Premiere Scholarship, their highest merit scholarship, and the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, totaling an additional $13,700 annually towards Madelyn's education costs.
For more information about the South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, visit Teachingfellowsc.com.
SC Whitmore School Executive Director, Kim Dunbar said, “We could not be more proud of Madelyn's hard work and accomplishment of being chosen as a SC Teaching Fellow. We know how important it is to prepare the next generation heading into the teaching profession to develop leadership skills to best support the students of South Carolina. Madelyn has already shown her talents academically and with a history of service to her school and community. She will be a great asset to the teaching profession and we look forward to following all of her accomplishments.”
If you are interested in learning more about the SC Whitmore School, please visit us online at scwhitmoreschool.org.
