Students Can Get Preview of School for Math, Science

By Nathan Dickinson< South Carolina Bureau

The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics equips students to excel in college.

“It really prepared me for college,” said Sandy Garrett Rodriguez, an Aiken resident and graduate of the school. “Some of the things I learned I didn’t even start using until my senior year of college and afterwards in grad school.”

A Discovery Session about the school will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday at Aiken Technical College.

Founded in 1988, and located on a campus completed in 2003 in Hartsville, S.C., the school is designed to provide for the education of “scientifically astute leaders vital to the development of the economy of the state.”

With a curriculum strong in science, graduates have gone on to become engineers, lawyers, teachers, researchers and poets, said Cyndi Billiot, the director of admissions.

To qualify to teach at the state-funded school, candidates must possess at least a master’s degree. Three-quarters of the faculty have doctorates, Ms. Billiot said.

“The reason why the school was created was to give students the challenge of advanced academics,” she said. “They’re gaining a foundation for the college experience.”

According to figures from the school, about 95 percent of the Class of 2005 was accepted to the first or second college of their choice and with an average SAT score of 1389.

The Governor’s School has 11 students from Aiken County, Ms. Billiot said.

There is no tuition to attend the Governor’s School, but there is an annual fee. Financial aid is available to qualifying students, she said.

“The academic and social climates are both distinct from public school,” Ms. Rodriguez said.

“On campus, the professors can always help you, unlike regular high school where you go home at the end of the day. It’s a diverse student body. Not everyone could play chess, but we had interesting social interactions,” she said. LEARN MORE A Discovery Session about the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday at Aiken Technical College. For more information, call (843) 383-3900.