BY  KAREN PACK
karen@cerra.org

Teacher Cadets instructors met at USC-Aiken on August 10, to plan for the upcoming year.  Dr. Timothy Lintner surprised the instructors with a few goodies to kick off the year. Thank you to Dr. Lintner and the entire USC-Aiken community for embracing the Teacher Cadets program. We appreciate your support as a College Partner!

BY  KAREN PACK
karen@cerra.org

It is heartwarming to read this reflection from one of Ms. Anne Ledford's former students at Fort Mill High School. Congratulations, Ms. Ledford, CERRA is so proud of your contributions to the teaching profession!

The following is Sarah Foster's reflection of how Ms. Ledford played a pivotal role in shaping who she is today. Sarah serves as a School Counselor at North Central Middle School in Kershaw County.

I have literal tears of excitement in my eyes for Ms. Anne Ledford this morning!

I have known Ms. Ledford my entire life, as she worked closely with both of my parents. I grew up running around her house at Christmas parties and other events that she regularly hosted for her coworkers and their families. I listened to her brag on her Teacher Cadets and always knew I wanted to be one of them. I sat with her most Friday nights through elementary school as we would sell football tickets at the visitor’s gate, and would hear stories of her classes and watch as so many former students came to hug her and thank her. The impact she had on her students and her love of her job is one of the main reasons I grew up wanting to be a teacher (don’t tell my parents!).

As I entered high school, I was fortunate enough to have her as my Pre-calculus teacher and she (along with Mrs. Dockery) helped me realize I wanted to teach math (which didn’t pan out but was a good stepping stone), as I watched her make the subject interesting and more importantly listen to and mentor all of us students. She was ALWAYS there when you needed to vent, or cry, or celebrate! Senior year I finally got to be one of the long awaited Teacher Cadets and I learned so much about education, but also myself in that class. She’s also the one that spoke to be about the Teaching Fellows program, which not only gave me scholarship money, but helped me decide on my college and led me to make lifelong friends and mentors.

As I started my education program, she was the teacher I thought about when they would say to think of a great teacher. She helped me decide to switch from elementary to middle level (probably the best choice of my life) and without knowing it shaped my educational philosophy. Even now, as I work with my students, I often think about the impact she had on me and my classmates, and strive to create those same relationships.

There is no teacher that is more deserving to be granted an opportunity like this and to be able to fulfill such a big dream! Ms. Ledford, thank you SO MUCH for all you’ve done for me and all you continue to do for your students every day! I hope you have a blast on your trip! Love you!

Ms. Ledford is one of the Fort Mill School District's treasures. This video from FMHS is one you won't want to miss!​

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BY ARTHUR L. PINCKNEY

​Eau Claire High School was the host for the first Annual Richland One Teacher Cadet Banquet.  All High Schools recognized one student as the “Outstanding Teacher Cadet” of the year. Dr. Stephanie Hart, Teacher Cadet Coordinator for the District also recognized the instructors. The High Schools represented were Columbia, Dreher, Eau Claire, A.C. Flora, C.A. Johnson, Keenan and Lower Richland.

Kaicee Thomasson
Kaicee will be graduating from York Comprehensive High School in York, SC. She is president of Mu Alpha Theta and an active member of the National Honor Society, English Honor Society, Teacher Cadet National Honor Society, and French Honor Society. She is also a member of the Varsity Cheer Team and volunteer with the school’s media specialist at after school events. She will be attending Clemson University in the Fall to major in either Secondary Education with a focus in math or pursue an Elementary Education degree. She has been preparing for this career by volunteering to tutor students within her school district and being a part of the Teacher Cadet Program. 

Photo: ACE Awards  
Paul Hyde, phyde@greenvillenews.comPublished 10:00 a.m. ET May 6, 2018 | Updated 9:49 a.m. ET May 8, 2018

​Cameron Pate-Addie, 18, experienced some tough times growing up. His father died when he was very young. His mother passed away when Pate-Addie was a freshman in high school.

When he came to Woodmont High School, Pate-Addie was living with his brother and struggling academically.

"But you would never have known that he was going through difficulties," said his school counselor Ashley Emmons. "He has always been so polite and upbeat, one of the nicest people you'll ever meet." With the help of loved ones and the Woodmont teaching staff, Pate-Addie has persevered and is now a graduating senior, bound for Lander University and a future teaching career.

Pate-Addie is one of 70 students being honored this year with an ACE Award, which recognizes young, unsung heroes in Greenville County.

Pate-Addie, who maintains a part-time job along with his studies, participated in Woodmont's Teacher Cadet program, which provides internships at elementary and middle schools for high school students interested in teaching. The experience confirmed Pate-Addie's aspirations to become a teacher. "He's very passionate about social studies and history, so he wants to be a social studies teacher," Emmons said. His school counselors expect great things from Pate-Addie.

"We're excited to see what he does in the future," said Alli Brown, another Woodmont counselor. "I think he's going to be very beneficial to some kids out there." The ACE (Advocates for Character and Education) Awards, recognizing eighth- and 12th-graders who've overcome tremendous odds, are sponsored by Coaches 4 Character. "It's all about honoring unsung heroes in Greenville County,"  said Greg Blatt, executive director of Coaches 4 Character. "These are students who've gotten lost in the shuffle," he said. "Their lives have been about tackling adversity, meeting challenges, and overcoming tough times through determination and perseverance. They've done amazing things in their lives but they've been overlooked."

One boy and one girl from each of the county’s 35 middle and high schools will be presented an ACE Award.
This year's speaker will be Will Muschamp, head football coach at the University of South Carolina. The ACE Awards are a partnership of The Greenville News, WYFF 4, Greenville County Schools, iHeartMEDIA and the Greenville Health System. Winners will receive a medallion, commemorative program/photo and a gift package. Two students also will be able to donate $500 each from Coaches 4 Character to the students’ favorite charity.

Several 12th-grade students also will receive college scholarships.

Courtesy of WSPA News Channel 7
​http://www.wspa.com/news/upstate-program-teaches-future-educators/1102628643
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GREENVILLE Co., S.C. (WSPA) -- Greenville County Schools has a program that could bring more teachers to the Upstate. Through the Teacher Cadet program, the district recruits its best and brightest students to work in the classroom with teachers. In 15 high schools within the district, 200 teacher cadets are learning how to teach. Cadets get the opportunity to work one-on-one with students and teachers. They also develop lesson plans and teach students in different subjects. Students are recruited for the program based on their GPA and interest in working in the school system. The district hopes these teacher cadets will graduate college with a degree that will allow them to return to Greenville County to work in the schools.

BY TODD SCHOLL

Sixty-nine students were inducted into the Teacher Cadet National Honor Society (TCNHS) in a ceremony held on Saturday, March 10 at Columbia College. 

In its second year, the TCNHS was created to honor scholarship, develop character, promote leadership, and stimulate a desire to serve.

In order to be considered for membership in the Teacher Cadet National Honor Society, a student must be a junior or senior with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 (unweighted) on the state grading scale. A teacher leadership committee selects from all qualifying applicants those who excel in scholarship, character, leadership, and service.

BY: KAREN PACK
karen@cerra.org

Dr. Carolyn Gaillard's Cadets have expressed an interest in working with students in their futures! During a recent visit, we discussed scholarship and grant funding opportunities for becoming a teacher in South Carolina. 

BY: KAREN PACK
karen@cerra.org

The Teacher Cadets at Barnwell High School, led by Lisa Wyndham, completed their Big Books. Kennedy Cave stated this experience, "forced me to be creative, making me think like a children's author." Idasha O'Berry added, "you had to brainstorm how to write a story a child would understand-not too complicated or complex." Destiny Priester shared, "they had to use real-life situations and predict possible outcomes." Maggie Surprenant concluded, "the process allowed her to express herself in the form of a book."