SUMTER, S.C. — Tuesday was the first day of the Emerging Leaders program. This nine-month series of workshops teaches students in Sumter and Lee Counties how to get involved with their community.
"This is an opportunity to kind of mold and shape them into the leaders that we need for next generation," said Erika Williams with Sumter Economic Development.
Williams designed and created the program, which is starting up again this academic year.
"We often talk about we’re building our future, building our talent pipeline. Well we want to equip these students with the leadership skills so they can sit around the table with adults and make decisions on behalf of their generation," Williams shared. "These are students that are already, you know, academically blazing trails and are already involved somewhat in the community, but we want to provide them with the peek behind the curtain of what really happens in cities and in counties and in towns."
Sumter High School junior Ariana Montgomery says this first session has already helped her realize that.
"It’s helped me see, like, how I can better myself and my community and it makes me want to get more involved in my community," Montgomery explained. "I’ve already learned so much and it’s only the first session."
Students join the program as a junior and they learn about different topics from finance to philanthropy to government. Then their senior year, they serve on the board for an organization in the community…all while earning three college credit hours from USC Sumter.
"It really gives them the opportunity to kind of jumpstart their college and come in early and get those credits," USC Sumter's Assistant Dean of Student Success and Enrollment Amber Novotny shared.
While they’re working toward their academic education, Lee Central high School junior Alexis Wilson tells me students are also growing socially by working together with students from across the two districts.
"Diversity is key and as a leader you have to know different aspects, not just your own," Wilson said. "So with learning how to deal with different people, how to work with different people, I can use those skills and really set a good leadership role in whatever I'm gonna do."
Students apply to be a part of the program, and must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Currently, there are 21 students participating.
"We want to make sure that they have the resources that they need, the tools, they know the people, the connections in the community," Williams told me. "We make sure that they are aware of their government officials, the key business leaders, so that they can make those connections and build those bridges for themselves so they’ll feel confident and comfortable when they take their next step in life being at college, you know, wherever they may go."
Novotny agrees.
"We want these students to become members of our communities, right? So we want them to come to school here, we want them to then become leaders in industry, I mean, they are our next generation right?" she added. "And so teaching them young, getting them connected young so they can work in leadership capacities in the community and really give back and continue to grow the community both economically, socially, all of the things…so that’s what we’re hoping for with the partnerships."