The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and Dominion Energy recognized five students from across the state recently for their outstanding submissions in the fourth annual Strong Men & Women in S.C. History student writing contest. 

State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver and Dominion Energy South Carolina President Keller Kissam presented each student with an Apple MacBook Air. Winners were selected from each of South Carolina’s five regions: Central Savannah River Area (CSRA), Lowcountry, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Upstate. Their schools will receive $1,000.

The contest encourages South Carolina high school juniors and seniors to write a 500-word essay about a different topic annually. This year’s essay was inspired by South Carolinian Mary McLeod Bethune, a renowned educator and civil rights activist from Mayesville, whose legacy of educational entrepreneurship and literacy has made a lasting impact on individuals across the Palmetto State. Bethune once said, “The whole world opened to me when I learned to read.” Students were asked to write about an African American from South Carolina who has positively impacted their educational journey.

“We are proud to celebrate these five young writers and the noteworthy South Carolinians who have made a lasting impact on their lives,” said Superintendent Weaver. “Thank you, Madison, Tristan, Karma, Chandler, and Morgan, for taking this initiative to recount your personal stories. With your impressive work ethic and inspiring writing talents, I’m confident your greatest chapters are yet to be penned!”