Irmo High Grad Named GEM Fellow

Brittany Alyse Walker, a 2009 graduate of Irmo High School, has been selected as a GEM Fellow.

GEM (The National GEM Consortium) prepares technical leaders for advanced careers in industry, academia, and government agencies by identifying and selecting highly qualified students to complete a program of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) graduate study and industry internships.

Brittany’s fellowship includes a paid internship at DuPont for a minimum of 10 weeks in their research and development lab in Wilmington, Del. DuPont will also pay her first-year tuition, fees, and a stipend at the GEM-affiliated university of her choice. She is already accepted into a PhD program in the GEM Consortium and is in the process of selecting a university. Her goal is to become an industrial chemist.

“Our graduates go on to do extraordinary things, and Brittany is a shining example of that,” said District Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hefner. “We congratulate her on her success, and look forward to seeing her in leadership roles in the future.”

The GEM fellowship is just one of the numerous academic honors Brittany has received since graduating from Irmo High School. While earning her undergraduate degree at Wofford College, she has been accepted into the National Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, which is designed to increase underrepresented students’ enrollment in PhD programs. She also received the school’s 2012-2013 James C. Loftin Scholar award, which is given to one Chemistry major who has “demonstrated outstanding professional promise.” She will graduate from Wofford this spring.

In April, Brittany will be inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa's Beta Chapter of South Carolina, one of the most prestigious academic honor societies in the U.S. She is the daughter of Irmo Town Councilman Barry Walker and Mrs. Susan Walker.

Submitted by Lexington-Richland 5's Office of Public Information