ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — The Orangeburg High School for Health Professionals is on the verge of growth.
“The need for the community to have this grew and as that need grew, we needed to make sure that we can go ahead and facilitate the growth that the community was asking for," said administrator Shanna White.
Established in 2012, the school caters to high schoolers looking to enter health science fields. In its first year, they had 72 students.
Over one decade later, the school is opening a new freshman wing to accommodate 131 students, its largest freshman class yet.
With the help of a partnership with the Orangeburg MUSC hospital and dual enrollment at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, students are on the path to receiving certification as nursing assistants, pharmacy technicians, and phlebotomists.
“It also shows them they don’t have to take their talents out of the area of Orangeburg so they’re more so homegrown where they learn here, work here, live here, and ultimately stay here," said White.
The new $550,000 modular unit will be 15,000 square feet. It is being funded through a combination of both federal and grant funding, and will offer core classes including English, math, science, social studies, and computer science.
April Moorer is a parent of two current students at the school.
“I think expansion, even though sometimes it can be a little bit scary, just the idea of moving from one place to the next, knowing that your intention is to grow the minds of this community is wonderful," said Moorer.
The freshman academy center will be completed in June.
The school is preparing for a total of 440 students this upcoming 2023-2024 school year.