2013 Ken Bower Scholarships Announced

Anderson School District One is extremely proud to announce that one of the six recipients is Victoria Williams, a native of Williamston, South Carolina, is a former Teacher Cadet at Palmetto High School. She was a member of the National Honor Society, BETA Club, Key Club, and Student Council. In addition to academia, Victoria played varsity basketball and softball, earning multiple awards such as All-Region, All-Area, All-State, AA Player of the Year, and Triple Crown Sports All-American, to name a few. 

She plans to attend the University of South Carolina-Columbia in the fall, majoring in elementary education and playing softball on an athletic scholarship. She is also a Teaching Fellows. Her Teacher Cadet instructor was Ms. Courtney Boyd.

Victoria said “I am extremely honored to be the recipient of the Ken Bower Scholarship. To be recognized in memory of the person responsible for the Teacher Cadet program is very special. My Teacher Cadet experience at Palmetto High School under the leadership of Ms. Courtney Boyd was tremendous and it helped me to confirm my desire to teach. While I’m excited about heading to Carolina for many reasons, I am so excited about pursuing my teaching degree and preparing one day to teach. I want to thank CERRA and the Teacher Cadet Program for this great honor.”

The Ken Bower Teacher Cadet Scholarship, named in memory of Dr. Ken Bower, an architect of the original Teacher Cadet course and curriculum, is awarded each year to as many as six senior Teacher Cadets who intend to become a classroom teacher in one of South Carolina's many public schools. “The recipients of the Ken Bower Teacher Cadet Scholarship are among South Carolina’s most stellar students. Not only do they have a passion for making a difference in the lives of children, but they also exhibit the talent for teaching and working with them,“ notes Marcella Wine-Snyder, Program Director for the Teacher Cadet Program. “I am consistently amazed by the skills and talent of Teacher Cadets across our state, and I look forward to welcoming these exceptional students to the teaching profession.”

Teacher Cadet instructors receive notification of the call for applications early each calendar year and all senior Teacher Cadets are eligible to apply. Thanks to the generosity of silent auction "shoppers" at two CERRA conferences and other donors who support the Teacher Cadet program, 2013 recipients will receive a one-time award of $500. The award is mailed directly to the recipient's college before August 1st and is applied to his or her account. Awards are determined based on the merits of scholarship, teacher recommendations, and a written essay. The Ken Bower Teacher Cadet Scholarship is not "needs-based" and does not rely on the financial information of the Teacher Cadet’s family. Teaching Fellows may also be recipients of the Ken Bower Scholarship.

Ray Callaham, Principal of Palmetto High School, shared “Congratulations to Victoria and her family. She is very deserving of this award. She graduated with honors recently from Palmetto High and we will miss her. She is an example of the quality of students at Palmetto High.”

The other award winners were: Hannah Grace Brandon - Blythewood High School, Haley Bryant - Fox Creek High School, Rebecca Corley - Laurens District 55 High School, Elizabeth Anne Rogers -Dutch Fork High School, and Maggie Ward - Camden High School.