Katy Mae Crooks (MCHS, Anderson University), Kendellin Haltiwanger (MCHS, Lander University), Jennifer Shealy (MCHS, Lander University) and Alyssa Ward (NHS, Winthrop University) have been awarded the prestigious South Carolina Teaching Fellowship.

 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.

 Applicants for the program undergo a rigorous 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.

 For more information about the South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, visit teachingfellowsc.com.