MEBA's Middle College Honors Graduates

May 26, 2011

Featured presenters at MEBA's Midlands Middle College Senior Recognition Ceremony from l to r: George Zara, chair, MEBA and MMC; Dr. Hudgens, retired superintendent, Richland Two; Courtney Molony, MMC guidance counselor; and Amber Shull, 2011 graduate of White Knoll High School and MMC student.

On May 26, 2011, 52 graduating seniors were honored as part of MEBA’s Midlands Middle College’s Senior Recognition Ceremony. Approximately 200 parents, school leaders and business sponsors attended the ceremony held at Midlands Technical College Airport Campus, which serves at the host site for Midlands Middle College (MMC). View pictures from the ceremony.

A total of 52 seniors representing Fairfield, Richland One, Richland Two, Lexington One, Lexington Two, Lexington Four and Lexington Richland District Five School Districts graduated from their respective high schools while attending MMC, giving the program an impressive 96% graduation rate. Of the 52 graduates, 24 also completed classes at Midlands Technical College, earning 87 hours of college credit and achieving an average GPA of 3.1.

The recognition ceremony began with words of appreciation from Carole Fearrington, the program’s director, and a welcome from George Zara, President and CEO of Providence Hospitals and chair of MEBA’s board of directors. Dr. John Hudgens, retired superintendent for Richland School District Two, provided encouraging remarks about life’s “stumbling blocks and stepping stones,” and graduate Amber Shull offered reflections about the difference MMC made in her life and future.

The ceremony closed with recognition of the graduates’ academic accomplishments and presentation of MMC certificates by Courtney Molony, guidance counselor, and Dr. Hudgens, respectively. Stephen Castleberry, English teacher, also presented a video year-in-review, created by the program’s journalism students and highlighting the graduates’ future plans.

Ten graduates plan to attend four-year colleges or universities, 37 plan to attend Midlands Technical College and one will attend UTI Technical College. Two graduates will enter the US Military, and two will enter the workforce full-time. The graduates will receive approximately $276,500 in projected total scholarship money, with 15 qualifying for the Hope Scholarship and 6 qualifying for the Life Scholarship. 

Congratulations to the following 2011 graduates recognized for their success at MMC: DaShawn Allen, Ridge View; Nyiesha Anderson, Richland Northeast; Thomas Arnett, Ridge View; Anne-Marie Barber, Lexington; Hilary Bouknight, Lexington; Le’Andra Brown, Columbia; Morgan Capo, Gilbert; Katherine Chumley, Lexington; Miranda Clark, Pelion; Ashley Collins, White Knoll; Georgia Crick, Brookland-Cayce; Kayla Faile, Pelion; Krystal Faust, Richland Northeast; Katherine Funderburk, White Knoll; Stephanie Gehr, Ridge View; Noah Giles, Lexington; Kenneth Green, Fairfield Central; Caroline Halferty, Lexington; Whitney Harps, Blythewood; Christie Hebert, Blythewood; Janice Hernandez, Dutch Fork; Dustin Hooper, Brookland-Cayce; Sarah Hunt, Lexington; Katie Jackson, Lexington; Cameron Kramer, Irmo; Elizabeth Langston, Lexington; Olivia Lee, Brookland-Cayce; Marcus Lucas, Swansea; Samantha Mahoney, White Knoll; Mary Kathryn McArthur, Irmo; Tarik McCloud, Blythewood; Samantha Mobley, Pelion; Andrew Neff, Gilbert; Krista Nunley, White Knoll; Brandi Outten, Blythewood; Ezekial Perry, Richland Northeast; James Peterson, Spring Valley; Amber Shull, White Knoll; LaKeesha Simpson, Fairfield Central; Tyrone Singleton, Lower Richland; Leon Smith, Fairfield Central; Kimaria Somerville, Richland Northeast; De’Angelo Stevenson, Fairfield Central; Shannon Stone, Richland Northeast; Anquinetta Thompson, Richland Northeast; Anna Traylor, Lexington; Demetrius Wallace, White Knoll; Breyonna Weeks, Blythewood; Taylor Wessinger, Lexington; Emry Wooten, Lexington; Matt Wooten, Spring Valley; LaSha Young, Fairfield Central.

Special thanks to the following MMC partners for their generosity, involvement and commitment to the program’s success: AT&T; Averyt Management Group; Bank of America; BB & T; Ben Arnold Beverage Company; BP Barber; Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC; CoastalStates Bank; DP Professionals; Duff, White, & Turner, LLC; Fairfield County Council; First Citizens; Food Service, Inc.; Forest Acres Rotary Club; Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.; Lexington Medical Center; MB Kahn Foundation, Inc.; Michelin America; Midlands Education and Business Alliance; Midlands Technical College; Palmetto Citizens; Palmetto Health Richland; Parker Poe, LLP; Pope Zeigler, LLC; Providence Hospitals; Rotary Club of the Vista Night; SC Department of Education; Southern Management Group; State Farm Insurance; Stratagem Marketing, LLC; Time Warner Cable; Total Comfort/Comfort Services; Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation.

Since being founded in 2005, Midlands Middle College has provided a second chance to more than 300 high school students at risk of dropping out by offering focused instruction, personalized career counseling and the extra encouragement they need to be successful. Midlands Middle College has a proven track record of success, with 97% of its students graduating from high school and going on to attend college, acquire professional certification, enter the military or workforce.

Members of MEBA's Midlands Middle College Board of Directors are Mr. George Zara, Chair; Mr. John Barnes; Ms. Barbara Blau; Mr. Ken Fasching; Mr. Ben Green; Dr. Venus Holland; Dr. Percy Mack; Mr. Jim Reynolds; Ms. Val Richardson; Dr. Jasper Salmond; Mr. Rick Wheeler; Dr. Sonny White; and Dr. Karen Woodward.

Partnering School Districts are the Department of Juvenile Justice, Fairfield County, Lexington One, Lexington Two, Lexington Three, Lexington Four, Lexington/Richland Five, Richland One and Richland Two.

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