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During the program, participants met eight times to tour schools and learn about student needs and the state and federal requirements placed on schools, teachers and administrators in FSD1.

Michele Pridgen, Assistant Manager of Administration at Honda of South Carolina, said that bringing together leaders from a variety of backgrounds contributed to the program’s effectiveness in the community.

“Developing an eclectic group in the program is really ingenious,” Pridgen said. “It allows you to go back to your perspective company and to represent what is going on in the education scene.”

Katie Wilcox who works in marketing and business development at Pee Dee Electric Cooperative said that she grew up attending FSD1 schools, but participating in the Fellows in Education Program positively exposed her to new schools and people.

“I was very impressed with the curriculum that they are teaching to the elementary kids,” Wilcox said. “Also, the teachers are doing the best they can with what they have.”

To commemorate the completion of the program, participants received a framed certificate as they were congratulated by FSD1 Superintendent Dr. Randy Bridges, Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce President Michael Miller and The School Foundation Executive Director Debbie Hyler.”

Over the course of the school year, the students attended monthly sessions that focused on leadership skills, successful team work, health care, community awareness, business and industry, agriculture, natural resources, history, art and education, according to the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

“I feel blessed to have had the experience of meeting new people and being exposed to new environments,” said Junior Leadership Florence County participant Jordan Snipes. “This exciting 4-H leadership opportunity has brought together high school sophomores and juniors from 10 public and private schools from across Florence County.”

Snipes, a sophomore at Florence Christian School, said that although the group of participants was diverse, they formed a great team and look forward to making a difference in their communities.

Francis Marion University President Fred Carter gave the keynote address at Thursday’s ceremony. He offered five tips to the students for their future: Use the Junior Leadership Florence County experience to broaden their perspective, seize opportunities, develop a network, cultivate and sustain new friendships and read.

“The network that you develop here, and the network that you’ll carry with you into your college years will be critically important to you,” Carter said. “You don’t know how important that is now, but you’ll come to understand in your 20s, and 30s and 40s that the networks that you establish now will sustain the perspectives that you maintain throughout the rest of your life.”

Grayson Jeffords, a student at Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School, said it was very interesting to get to grow and meet people from other schools that she would not normally meet.

“And it (the leadership program) made me raise my awareness of Florence County and just see all of the job opportunities that are available,” Jeffords said.

Erin Lassiter, also a Trinity-Byrnes student, said she loved the experience.

“I thought it was a great experience to get to know more about Florence and just get to meet a lot of new people,” Lassiter said. “We traveled around Florence County and got different aspects of what our community needed and what it was made of.”

The presenting sponsors for this year’s program were Clemson Cooperative Extension, the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and Francis Marion University.”

SCNow Web Article – Junior Leadership Florence County graduates 2017 class

Hundreds of people helped kick off this year’s Florence After Five season starting at 5:30 p.m. Guests could indulge in food and beverages from vendors including Dolce Vita, The Library, Victors and Wholly Smokin’. This year the stage is now at the south end of Dargan Street allowing for more space and for the food vendors to be closer to the action. Host and emcee Dan E. Lockemy said he is especially excited about the new dance floor added to the front of the stage that will help get the Friday crowd going.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Lockemy said. “I get to host a lot of beach music events and that’s what we spotlight here. It gives people not only from Florence but from the Pee Dee to come and enjoy what we have to offer in downtown Florence.”

At 6 p.m., The Pizazz Band took the stage to entertain with soulful, funky sounds featuring rock, beach, top 40 and country hits. The Pizazz Band is the first of seven bands to perform during this year’s Florence After Five season. The entertainment continued at 8:30 p.m. with the musical stylings of Tastes Like Chicken during the Florence After Five after-party.

New to the event this year was a Kids Fun Zone sponsored by the Florence Recreation Department where children and their families enjoyed an evening of games and prizes. Another addition to the Florence After Five festivities was a Pecan Cook-Off sponsored by the Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“There no kid that’s going to leave with some sort of prize,” Buchanan said. “We think every kid will leave the zone happy.”

The next Florence After Five is set for Friday, May 26, featuring the band Second Nature. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about Florence After Five events, contact the Florence Downtown Development Corporation at 843-665-2047.”