Celebrates Four Scott’s Branch Students as Clyburn Scholars

We were thrilled to have U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-SC) join us on Tuesday, August 29, to honor four students from Scott’s Branch Middle/High School in Summerton, S.C., who recently returned from studying abroad on scholarships created in his name.

CIEE introduced the Clyburn Scholar Awards to recognize Congressman Clyburn’s support of access to high-quality public education and the benefits of student exchanges, and are representative of CIEE’s efforts to increase access to study abroad by breaking down the barriers of cost, curriculum, and culture.

“Today, more than ever, our local communities and our world need strong leaders of sound character who understand history and the lessons it teaches. These young, talented global scholars from rural South Carolina now have a sense of our world that they would have never had without the opportunity to study language and culture this summer in Europe and Latin America,” said Congressman Clyburn. “One day, they may be the Congresswomen or Senators or military leaders that help keep us safe because they have a perspective of other people, of other cultures, and of the lessons that history teaches.”

Congressman James Clyburn (back row, third from left) celebrates with the 2017 Clyburn Scholars, board members from Scott’s Branch Middle/High School, and CIEE’s Matthew Redman (far left) and James Pellow (far right).

The exceptional Scott’s Branch students who each received a Clyburn Scholar Award covering the full cost of attending a CIEE Global Navigator high school abroad program earlier this summer are:

• Adrianna Dingle, senior – Language and Culture, Santiago, Dominican Republic
• Devin Brown, junior – Language and Culture, Toulouse, France
• Sky Harvin, senior – Language and Culture, Santiago, Dominican Republic
• Skylar Harvin, senior – Language and Culture, Santiago, Dominican Republic

“For 70 years, CIEE has worked with visionary leaders in education and government to promote programs that advance intercultural exchange and peaceful interchange among people from different cultures. CIEE’s collaboration with Congressman Clyburn and Scott’s Branch Principal Collar enabled these four exemplary young leaders from Clarendon County to see the world in a different way. As their parents shared this afternoon, they returned from abroad more confident, self-assured, and motivated to make the world a better place,” said James P. Pellow, Ed.D., president and CEO of CIEE.

“We hope that these local students, and their peers from the broader Global Navigator High School Programs who live in scores of communities across our country, will use the lessons learned in their study abroad experience to build a better future for themselves, their communities, our nation, and our world. If they do, they will be following in the footsteps of the role model for this program, Congressman Clyburn, who has impacted countless lives through his work as a teacher, historian, and exceptional Congressional leader. We look forward to building on this year’s successful experience in the years ahead,” said Matthew Redman, vice president of high school study abroad programs, CIEE.

“Clarendon School District One and Scott's Branch Middle/High School is extremely pleased to be able to honor these current students and alumni that had the fantastic opportunity to travel aboard to expand their learning experiences,” said Robert N. Collar, principal, Scott's Branch Middle/High School.