Blacksburg High student among South Carolina Teaching Fellows
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

Hannah Byars ...Will be in advanced teacher education program at USC Upstate

Blacksburg High senior Hannah Byars will receive $24,000 in scholarship money while pursuing a lifelong dream to become a teacher.

Byars has been named a South Carolina Teaching Fellow. She will spend the next four years involved in an advanced teacher education program at USC Upstate.

About 200 high school seniors are selected annually statewide to become Teaching Fellows based on their academic records, school and community activities and desire to teach children.

Teaching Fellows receive scholarships worth $6,000 annually while they complete a degree leading to teacher certification. A Teaching Fellow agrees to teach in a South Carolina public school for at least four years after graduation.

Byars became interested in teaching while participating in the Blacksburg High Teacher Cadet program this school year. Teacher Cadet is a program where students can learn about the teaching profession while in high school and spend time observing in classrooms.

"I have always wanted to be a teacher," Byars said. "I really enjoy being around children."

Byars said she has heard many positive comments from Blacksburg High students who have participated in the Teaching Fellows program. She is thinking about getting a dual certification in elementary and middle school education so she can teach students at both levels.

The Teaching Fellows program was started by state lawmakers in 1999 as a recruitment tool. More than 700 students statewide apply annually for teaching fellowships.

Byars follows 2006 Blacksburg High graduates Ashley Conley, Kayla Moss and Rebekah Rowe into the Teaching Fellows program at USC Upstate. The program is supervised by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA), a state agency located at Winthrop University.

Byars will attend a state orientation for the Teaching Fellows program June 21 in Columbia.

"I am really looking forward to it," Byars said. "I think it will be good to have the same classes with other students who want to become teachers."

Teaching Fellow programs provide students with opportunities to participate in summer enrichment and community service activities, including working with after-school programs.

"Students in the Teaching Fellows program will have numerous opportunities to become familiar with all aspects of the teaching profession," program director Brett Vaughn said. "We continue to work toward our goal of having a Teaching Fellow working in every district in the state."