Cherokee County student enrolled in prestigious Governor's School

Gaffney resident Matthew Burrows is shown Aug. 15 at the Governor's School for Math and Science in Hartsville. Burrows will attend the governor's school for his junior and senior years in high school. An aspiring inventor, Matthew Burrows, often surprised his parents growing up with the contraptions he built in his room.

Burrows has set up a door buzzer to trigger an alarm in his room. He has experimented with robotics and hopes to enroll at MIT following high school graduation.

"Matthew has always enjoyed creating stuff," said Virginia Burrows, Matthew's mother and an assistant principal at Mary Bramlett Elementary. "I used to be afraid to go into his room because I was worried I would step on something he was working on."

Matthew Burrows has taken his creative talents in another direction this fall.

He is one of 70 new students who enrolled Aug. 15 in the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics in Hartsville. It is a public residential high school for academically advanced juniors and seniors. The curriculum has a special focus on science and math.

Matthew was selected for the Duke Talent Identification Program in the seventh grade. The Gaffney native received invitations to challenging academic camps from colleges while attending Cherokee County schools.

"Matthew had the opportunity to attend camp at the Governor's School last summer and absolutely loved it. He wants to go to MIT and is on the fast track towards college," Virginia Burrows said. "His strengths have always been in math and science. He decided he wanted to apply to the Governor's School so he could attend school with students who were more like him."

As a public school, the Governor's School for Math and Science does not charge tuition. Each student pays a $1,125 fee. All other costs are paid by the state.

Matthew was required to write several essays, take the SAT and receive three teacher recommendations as part of his application. He was accepted into the Governor's School in February.

The Governor's School for Math and Science is ranked among the best academic secondary schools in the nation.

Newsweek ranked it a Top 20 "public elite" high school in its May 2006 issue and again in May 2007. The Governor's School is one of only a few specialized, residential high schools in the nation.

Matthew's class schedule is set up like a typical college student. He will attend one set of classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and another class schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

He is required to participate twice a week in an intramural activity such as running, walking, soccer, track or swimming. He will complete a mentored research project during the summer before his senior year.

All students attend a January interim semester, which runs for three weeks between the fall and spring semesters. Visiting professors and artists teach courses such as the Science of Scuba Diving, Aquatic Insects, Science of Sports, and Wildlife Photography.

"Matthew will live at the Governor's School most of the year. He will get to come home once a month," Virginia Burrows said.

"He is so excited to be at the governor's school. It gives him so many opportunities. "