SUMTER, S.C. — It's college acceptance season for students nationwide, and in Midlands, one high school senior has found out she's going to the Coast Guard Academy. The Sumter High School student is the first and only South Carolinian to be accepted this year so far.
"Since I was probably like five or six years old, I just wanted to go to military," 17-year-old Eriyonna Walcott said. "My uncle, he's an officer in the Coast Guard. He retired as a commander in the Coast Guard, and I've always looked up to him my whole life. So, that just really inspired me to join the Coast Guard and be an officer."
Walcott said this inspiration and her school's ROTC program helped her confirm she wanted to join the military. Initially, Walcott said she planned to enlist right after high school graduation.
"I've never been the type of person to want to go to college or anything. That didn't happen 'til last year, late summer," Walcott said. "Ms. Gadson from seventh grade up until my 11th grade year summer, she's been juggling with me trying to convince me to go to college, so you know, Gear Up has really helped me. She made sure my grades were on point, my head's on the right track and all that type of stuff."
Because of Gear Up Counselor Audrika Gadson, Walcott is now the first person from South Carolina to be admitted into the Coast Guard Academy for 2024.
"You got kids who never thought they were gonna go to college accepted and ready to go," Gadson said, smiling. "Like, that's amazing."
Gadson has been working with Walcott and the Sumter High Class of 2024 for the past six years, making a difference, said principal Anamaria Sandor.
"The support they have received from the Gear Up specialist, it made a difference because they were exposed to more college options, to FAFSA, to meetings that they have with all the students to make sure that they know how to apply to the college, what letters they need, what recommendation, who to ask for recommendation," Sandor said.
"Makes me want to cry," Gadson said. "You know, you get a relationship with kids and, you know, you see so many kids never thought they were going to go even they just did, 'My path was strictly military,' you know, being able to talk to a child, be like, 'You know, well, you know, there's other options, you can still go to college and still be in the military at the same time.' You know, just introducing them to things that they never thought was possible and didn't know that exists, it's amazing."
The Academy said that only one person in the state has been accepted so far. In 2023, the Academy said only five students from South Carolina were accepted.
"It was either the Academy or the military. So, I feel like if you're determined to do something, you can make it happen. You have to believe in yourself and do everything you can," Walcott said. "ROTC - it helped develop my leadership skills and my responsibility. There's a lot of stuff in ROTC to help you with time management, all that type of stuff."
In addition to her school's JROTC program, Walcott said she's involved in many other extracurriculars, from the color guard and drill team to wrestling, swimming, track and National Honor Society.
"Another thing that got me here is all my support system. So, you know, my parents got number one, my principal, you know, everybody; they just kept encouraging me. So I really appreciate that," Walcott said. "If you go to college, you get more benefits, higher pay, that type of stuff. It's just a lot more benefits. I will get commissioning rather than enlisting. So yeah, I was like, you know what, maybe they're right. Let's do it."